Crypto Scam Vectors
Directory of crypto attack vectors. Each hub collects the mechanics, red flags and real investigations for one type of fraud.
Attack vectors we document
Each of the 11 hubs below is assembled from investigations we already published: the mechanics of the vector in order, the red flags you can check in under a minute, what to do when it already happened, and the case files that prove it.
- Wallet drainers: One signature, empty wallet. The mechanics of drainers, poisoned addresses and tampered devices.
- Approval phishing: They don't want your keys. They want your permission — granted once, used forever.
- Fake tokens & honeypots: The balance is real on screen and fictional on-chain. Honeypots, flash USDT and exit rugs.
- Bridge exploits: Real collateral on one side, a claim on the other. When verification breaks, the claim wins.
- OTC & cash fraud: Big-ticket deals, private rooms, no referee. Where OTC settlement goes wrong.
- AI-powered scams: Deepfaked founders, hallucinated audits, agents that sign for you. Fraud at machine speed.
- Protocol exploits: The contract worked perfectly. That was the problem.
- Laundering networks: The theft is the easy part. This is the industry that turns stolen coins into spendable money.
- Investment fraud: Guaranteed returns are a maths problem, and the maths always resolves the same way.
- Data breaches: The keys stay safe. The customer list does not — and that list is the next phishing campaign.
- Airdrop fraud: Free money is the bait. The signature on the claim page is the trap.
- Wallet Drainers & Address Poisoning
- Approval Phishing & Signature Traps
- Fake Tokens, Honeypots & Rug Pulls
- Cross-Chain Bridge Exploits
- OTC Desk & Cash Settlement Fraud
- AI-Powered Crypto Scams
- Smart Contract & Protocol Exploits
- Crypto Laundering Networks
- Crypto Investment Fraud & Ponzi Schemes
- Crypto Data Breaches & Vendor Leaks
- Fake Airdrops & Claim Page Scams
How to use this directory
Start from the signal you actually saw — a signature request, a promised return, a recruiter, a bridge transaction, a cash meeting — open the matching hub, then read the investigation closest to your situation. If you have a message, address or contract in front of you right now, paste it into the free AI scam detector first and use the hub to understand the verdict.