Beware of “Vote” & Airdrop Scams in Crypto: How They Work and How to Stay Safe

Scammers push fake ‘community vote’ pages and airdrop claims to trick you into granting malicious approvals. Here’s how to spot and avoid them.

Never connect your wallet or sign approvals on links shared via DMs or unverified channels.

Key takeaways

• Fake votes & airdrops: Promises of governance influence or free tokens are used to bait approvals.
• Wallet drainers: Malicious contracts request unlimited token allowance and empty balances.
• Protection: Verify URLs, use hardware wallets, and regularly revoke risky approvals.

Contents

1. How These Scams Work
2. Common Red Flags
3. Step-by-Step Protection
4. If You Already Interacted
5. FAQs

How These Scams Work

Attackers publish a slick site or bot that imitates a well-known project. It asks you to connect your wallet to “vote” or “claim”. The site then prompts a transaction or signature that grants unlimited spending on your tokens or lets a contract move assets without further permission. Once approved, a wallet drainer script transfers funds to the attacker’s address.

Common Red Flags

• Link shared via DMs, pop-ups, or comment spam.
• Domain is new, misspelled, or not the project’s official site.
• Requests for seed phrase/private key (legitimate sites will never ask).
• Approvals for unlimited allowance or unusual permissions.
• Fake countdowns, “exclusive” invites, or pressure to act fast.

Step-by-Step Protection

1) Verify the URL

Type addresses manually or use trusted bookmarks. Check SSL and the official announcement channel.

2) Use a Hardware Wallet

Confirm contract addresses and spending caps on-device. Decline anything suspicious.

3) Set Spending Caps

When approving, limit the allowance to what you need, not unlimited.

4) Revoke Regularly

Use an approval-revoker dashboard to remove old or risky allowances.

5) Split Funds

Keep a small “hot” wallet for experiments and a separate secure vault for savings.

Never share your seed phrase. If any site asks, it’s a scam.

If You Already Interacted

• Disconnect the site in your wallet (temporary, but good hygiene).
• Revoke allowances for any suspicious contracts via a trusted revoker tool.
• Move funds to a fresh wallet (preferably hardware) if you signed anything unclear.
• Report the phishing site to your wallet provider and community mods.

FAQs

Are signature requests safe?

Not always. Some signatures (e.g., Permit, Approve) can authorize spending. Read prompts carefully.

Is a ledger or trezor enough?

They greatly reduce risk, but you must still review each approval. Hardware wallets don’t prevent bad approvals—only careful review does.

What if the offer looks official?

Confirm through multiple official channels (website, verified socials, Discord announcements). Assume DM links are fake.

Disclaimer: Informational content only—this is not financial, legal, or security advice.