50 Fresh Crypto Scams of 2025: Stay Alert

50 Fresh Crypto Scams of 2025: Stay Alert

In 2025, investors continue to be targeted by increasingly sophisticated crypto frauds—from AI-powered impersonations to romance-driven “pig butchering.” Here’s a comprehensive rundown of the latest 50 scams reported this year.1–10: AI, Deepfake, and Live-Streamed Fraud

1. Deepfake CEO Giveaways – Fake livestreams claimed exchanges were giving away ETH and BTC; scammers netted over $75M.
2. MetaFarm NFT Rug Pull – Raised ~$300M, then vanished after draining liquidity.
3. TruUSDX “SEC-Approved Stablecoin” – Falsely touted as SEC-authorized; took in $90M before being exposed.
4. Zoom Malware Impersonation – Fake exec invites to Zoom meetings pushed malware, compromising wallets via keylogs.
5. AI-Chatbot Arbitrage Tokens – Victims lost funds deploying scam contracts via fake Remix IDE pages.
6. Elon Musk Deepfake Scam – Used real-time voice and visual tech to fake crypto giveaways, scamming millions.
7. Tim Cook Deepfake Scam – Deployed during rumored iPhone launches, duped investors with fake projects.
8. Fake Support Scams – Impersonators posed as exchange customer service, stealing private keys.
9. Airdrop Wallet Hacks – Clicking fake SolanceX airdrops drained victim wallets immediately.
10. Pump-and-Dump Meme Coin Bots – Telegram groups hyped coins like “VIP Whale Channel,” only to dump them abruptly.

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11–20: Romance, Fake Jobs, and Job-Trading Cons

11. “Mint-9fx” Job Scam – A Hyderabad resident lost ₹1.6 crores after responding to a fake crypto job offer.
12. Aussie Ex-Cop Crypto Scam – Lost AUD 1.9M to a crypto scheme; the alleged scammer was later arrested.
13. Telegram WSB Finance Scam – Investors lost ~$2M after sending crypto in hopes of receiving WSB tokens.
14. Pythace.com Scam – A pig butchering romance fraud that blocked withdrawals after deposits.
15. Scam Ring Laundering via WhatsApp – A ₹5 crore fraud racket in India used WhatsApp recruitment to slo-mo funnel funds into USDT.
16. Kolkata Investment Traps – Multiple victims lost crores to WhatsApp groups promising crypto returns.
17. Pig Butchering via Photos – Scammers pretend romantic interests, coaxing victims into crypto, then freeze their accounts.
18. WhatsApp Job-to-Crypto Pipeline – Fake job recruiters led victims into investment scams via misleading links.
19. Deepfake Matchmaker Scheme – Fraudsters matched victims on romance apps before leading them to fake crypto platforms.
20. Cloud Mining Job Hoax – Fake “work from home mining” pitches that demanded prepayments and never delivered.

21–30: Rogue “Exchanges” and Wallet Phishing

21. Ammvip365 DEX Scam – Wallet-draining smart contracts programmed to steal when users connected their wallets.
22. Crypto-minerstrade.com – Promised algorithmic trading and mining gains but locked out investors after deposits.
23. Votfx-exchange.com – Newly registered platform with flashy promises and zero licensing.
24. Copycat Wallet Apps – Fake Trust Wallet and Binance look-alikes designed to harvest private keys.
25. White-label Wallet Scams – Apps mimicking legitimate wallets but built to drain user accounts.
26. Gas Fee NFT Scams – “Safe” NFT airdrops that sent malicious contracts draining user funds.
27. DeFi Pool Scams – Anonymous staking pools with no auditing or verification.
28. Unauthorized Pi-to-ETH Exchange – Fake Pi Network exchanges demanding personal details—and wallets emptied.
29. Fake KYC Wallet Upgrades – Locked accounts requiring useless “upgrades” to unlock funds.
30. Token Swap Imposters – Promises of huge gains for token swaps—then wallets cleared.

31–40: Rug Pulls, Meme Coin Scams & Exploited Hype

31. Meteora DeFi Scam – Rug pull wiped out $69M in investor liquidity.
32. Airdrop Scammers – Airdrops planted malware, stealing wallet credentials.
33. Copycat ICO Tokens – Fake tokens branded after legit coins ended up worthless.
34. Celebrity “NFT Opportunity” – Deepfake promos duped fans into fake NFT launches.
35. $LIBRA Meme Coin (Argentina) – Promoted by the president, collapsed in hours, costing investors $250M.
36. HyperVision Bot Scams – AI trading bots offering impossible returns.
37. QuantumX AI Traps – Sold “token AI returns,” then shut down without paying out.
38. Unrealistic Staking APY Offers – “Gold-tier” AI packages offering 1000% APY turned out to be Ponzi lures.
39. AriseBank/AriseCoin Scandal – Claimed FDIC backing; failed to deliver services.
40. Squid Game Token 2.0– Leveraged hype in 2025 before executing quick rug pull.

41–50: Exit Scams, Platform Hacks & Breached Privacy

41. WazirX Hack Exposure – $235M stolen by Lazarus Group; withdrawal freeze caused investor panic.
42. FTX Japan Data Leak – 35,000 users’ private data exposed, raising identity-fraud risks.
43. OneCoin Clones – New multilingual Ponzi rebrands using the same MLM structure.
44. PlusToken 2.0 – Fake crypto wallet offering yield farming returns before disappearing.
45. CryptoZoo Deception – Logan Paul’s failed NFT+gaming project; investors charged, no product delivered.
46. MTI Pyramid Relapses – Mirror Trading-style scams reborn under new names.
47. WEX Clone Sites – Fake versions that freeze withdrawals and vanish.
48. Exmart Exchange Lock-Outs – Forced deposits up to $5K to allow withdrawals, then froze accounts.
49. PoolinWallet Scams – Promised convenience but shut down user access after deposits.
50. FX Alliance Trader Scam – Advertised high returns, vanished with funds after brief trading access.

If You’ve Been Affected… Act Fast

1. Stop interacting immediately if you suspect fraud.
2. Document everything — screenshots, wallet IDs, chats.
3. Contact your payment provider or bank for possible dispute.
4. Report to your local cybercrime units or financial regulators.
5. Reach out to experts like Forteclaim Recovery Firm—victims who reach out early often have better recovery chances.

Why These Scams Are Different

This year’s crypto scams blend AI, deepfakes, romance exploitation, and instant tech tricks, making it harder for even experienced investors to spot danger. Staying secure means staying skeptical—and informed.

Stay updated, stay protected, and never invest without verifying regulatory and developer credentials.