How not to get scammed on Crypto Twitter

Don't fall for scams. Airdrops and TGEs are peak scam season. Fake accounts, phishing links, and DM traps lurk in replies and DMs. Here are the most common tricks scammers use and how to avoid them.

Illustration of a crypto user on his phone, surrounded by scam bot and phishing link warnings on X

First of all, do not rush! If you're being pressured into something that requires immediate action, this is a red flag that something bad might happen to you. So calm down and think before you act.

Since @MeteoraAG will have a TGE very soon, let's examine the most common scams currently circulating. All important information is communicated on the official X and Discord accounts under the #announcements channel.

Illustration of a user calmly checking his phone while scam posts push him to act now and claim fast

Fake and impersonator X accounts

How it works: scammers create or buy existing accounts with similar names, or rename them. They copy profile pictures, handles (typosquatting), bios and pinned tweets to impersonate projects, CEOs or support channels. Then they DM or reply with malicious links or fake giveaways.

How to avoid:

Check the handle character by character. Impostors swap O/0 and I/l, add extra characters, or just create new names. MeteoraAG is the original, and they do MeteoraDEX. Sometimes they just change the name, and the username is something that absolutely does not match the name.
Prefer verified links from the official website. Don't rely on profile bios alone.
Look at account creation date and follower quality. Lots of new followers or bot-like engagement is a red flag.
Don't follow DMs or links from newly created or low-follower accounts.
Confirm announcements from multiple official channels: website, Discord, verified announcement account.
If you know the project and have followed them for a long time, check your follow status. If it is not active anymore, this could be a fake account.
These accounts can even have the gold badge from Twitter. Everybody can just buy it to look more trustworthy.
Check comments and likes on posts too. No organic activity is a red flag.

Two X profiles impersonating Meteora and Jupiter, both marked SCAM, with arrows pointing at the fake handles — Real examples: both accounts copy the branding, but the handles give them away.

DM scams and fake support accounts

Support or airdrop-help DMs ask you to connect your wallet or share your seed. Or you get partnership DMs with shady links.

Turn off DMs from people you don't follow.
Never click links from random DMs.

Watch out on Discord too. Scammers will try to push you into fake support channels. Meteora, for example, has an official support channel visible in the left panel of their Discord. Anything else is a scam.

Never share your private key.
Real support will never ask you to sign a transaction on a third-party site.

No project will DM you to get you an airdrop or sell you tokens!

Illustration of a phone full of scam direct messages offering support and claim opportunities

Phishing sites

There have recently been many fake @JupiterExchange and Meteora channels claiming to offer airdrops and sharing suspicious URLs.

How it works: a clone of an official site sits on a fake domain (e.g. myprojecct.com), prompting a wallet connect or seed import. Once you connect and sign approvals, attackers drain tokens.

How to avoid:

Type project URLs manually or use bookmarks. Don't click links in random DMs.
Inspect the URL carefully: typos, extra words, wrong TLDs like .net instead of .com.
Look for HTTPS and a valid certificate, but remember HTTPS does not mean safe.
For wallet popups: read the transaction and permission text. If it asks to approve all or spend unlimited tokens, do not approve. You can just copy and paste it into ChatGPT and ask what it does.
Use the site in privacy mode with no extensions, or better: use a read-only wallet for browsing.

Illustration comparing an official website with a fake clone marked with a red cross, a magnifying glass over the suspicious domain

Fake airdrops and bogus token claims

How it works: scammers promise free tokens if you connect your wallet and sign a claim. Signing may grant approvals or transfer rights.

How to avoid:

Official airdrops are announced on the project's verified channels. Double-check.
Beware any claim that requires signing a transaction that says approve or allowance.
Never enter your seed or private key, and never paste it into a site.
Check the URL. If it does not look like the official website domain, go away.
If in doubt, treat any free-token claim as a scam.

Below is an example. Check the handle: JupiterBuild is fake!