How not to lose everything due to "free" tokens — all about airdrops

The world of cryptocurrencies attracts many newcomers with promises of easy earnings. One of the most tempting offers is the airdrop — a free token distribution used by crypto projects to promote themselves or attract users. However, with the growing popularity of this practice, a wave of scams disguised as airdrops has emerged. Participating in a fake event could cost you not only your crypto but full access to your wallet.

Why do scammers love this tactic?

Airdrop is a word that instantly triggers the idea of "free" — and scammers take full advantage of this. They create fake websites, impersonate real projects, and trick users into giving wallet access or sending funds. Often, victims don't realize they've been trapped until it's too late.

Consequences of joining fake airdrops

• Loss of funds — via fake fees, charges, or direct theft of tokens.
• Compromised wallet — due to sharing private keys or granting token permissions.
• Funding scammers — stolen funds are used to deceive other users.

Signs of a scam

• No official announcement
  Airdrop is not mentioned on official channels (website, X, Discord, Telegram).
  Example: a fake Arbitrum airdrop circulated on X, even though the official site made no such announcement.


• Request for private key or seed phrase
  Scammers ask for private info allegedly for verification.
  Example: Telegram channels promoted a fake Trezor airdrop that asked for a seed phrase to “confirm ownership”.


• Upfront payment or gas fee
  Participation requires sending ETH or another token to “activate” the airdrop.
  Example: FAKE token’s airdrop invited users to send 0.01 ETH for “transaction costs”, but delivered nothing in return.


• Suspicious URLs or clone sites
  Fake sites mimic official ones with slight changes in spelling.
  Example: “un1swap.org” imitated Uniswap. Wallet input led to instant asset loss.


• Grammar mistakes and urgency
  Posts contain errors and phrases like “only 5 minutes left!”.
  Example: airdrop from a fake Solana page on X had typos and phrases like: “Hurry! Only today!”


• Fake comments and social proof
  Bots post messages claiming to have received tokens.
  Example: Under a fake “MetaMask” post, bots commented: “Thanks, I got my tokens!”


• Unknown or non-existent projects
  No team, no history, no docs.
  Example: “QuantumX” offered an airdrop but had no site, no CoinGecko listing, no GitHub repo.


• Token permission traps
  Site asks for token management approval.
  Example: DApp “ClaimAirdrop.eth” requested unlimited access to USDT — users lost funds after approving.


• Redirects to malicious DApps
  Fake sites mimic legit dApps but contain malicious smart contracts.
  Example: airdrop redirected to a fake dYdX, prompting users to sign harmful transactions.


• Unrealistic reward promises
  Claims like “Get 1000 USDT instantly!”.
  Example: a verified-looking X account promised “exclusive Binance airdrop” with 3000 BNB — users lost money trying to “activate” the reward.

Safety tips from Kursoff:

• Always check official sources. If the project is silent — that’s a red flag.
• Never share your private key or seed phrase. No legit service asks for them.
• Use wallets with phishing protection and don’t sign suspicious transactions.
• Stay skeptical. If it sounds too good to be true — it probably is.
• Look for whitepapers, active communities, and media mentions.
• Take your time — caution is key in crypto.

Free tokens are great. But keeping your assets safe is even better.