Scammers reuse the same handful of playbooks. Learn to recognise them here — the same patterns our Case Intake Desk asks you about. If any of these match what happened to you, you are not alone, and it was not your fault.
Fake Dashboard & Phantom Gains
The platform shows your balance climbing with steady, remarkable profits. None of it is real: no trade is placed and the number is set by the scammer to keep you depositing.
The tell Smooth, consistent gains you can see on screen but can never actually withdraw.
The Withdrawal Wall
When you try to cash out, a charge appears first: a "tax", an "anti-money-laundering" fee, a "fraud score" or a "verification upgrade". Pay it and another one appears.
The tell You are asked to pay money in order to release your own money.
The Advance-Fee Spiral
Every "final step" needs one more payment: insurance, a liquidity bond, a wallet-unlock fee. The finish line keeps moving because the balance was never there.
The tell The list of fees only grows and the payout never actually arrives.
Wallet Drain & Seed-Phrase Theft
They offer to help you "connect" or set up a wallet, or ask for your seed or recovery phrase "to verify" you. That phrase is the master key and sharing it hands them everything.
The tell Anyone who asks for your seed or recovery phrase is trying to take your wallet.
Recovery Scams (Re-Victimization)
After a loss, a "recovery agent" contacts you, or you find one online, promising to claw your money back for an upfront fee. It is a second scam aimed squarely at victims.
The tell A legitimate recovery process never asks you to pay a fee up front.
Romance & Pig Butchering
A warm relationship built over weeks on a dating app or in your DMs slowly steers you into a "private opportunity" the other person controls. The affection is the setup.
The tell A new online partner who gradually guides you into an investment they introduced.
Pump-and-Dump & Fake Tokens
Coordinated hype inflates a near-worthless coin. Insiders sell into the spike and disappear, leaving you holding a token with no buyers.
The tell Urgent hype, promises it will "moon", and heavy pressure to buy right now.
Clone & Impersonation Brokers
A fake site copies a real regulated firm and its name, licence number and branding so it looks trustworthy at a glance.
The tell A domain, spelling or contact detail that does not match the genuine regulated firm.
Signal Groups & Copy-Trading Traps
A "guru" or trading bot promises guaranteed returns and a flawless record. The results are fabricated and your trades route straight to the scammer.
The tell Guaranteed profits and a track record you cannot independently verify.
Fake Giveaways & Celebrity Deepfakes
"Send one coin and get two back", or a deepfaked celebrity endorsing a platform. The giveaway is bait and nothing ever comes back.
The tell Any offer to send crypto now in order to receive more later.
Phishing & Fake Support
A lookalike login page or a fake "support agent" harvests your password, your 2FA code or your wallet keys.
The tell Unexpected support messages and links that ask you to log in or "verify" your account.
Deposit-Match & Bonus Lock-Ins
A "bonus" or "deposit match" inflates your on-screen balance but ties any withdrawal to impossible trading-volume rules that quietly lock your funds.
The tell A bonus that blocks withdrawals until you trade an unrealistic amount.
Recognise any of these?
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