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The Crypto Scam Red-Flag Checklist

This is a checklist, not a calculator — ten common warning signs seen across real crypto scams, from guaranteed returns to requests for your seed phrase. Check off whichever ones match something you're considering, and a risk meter shows how closely it matches a known scam pattern. It's useful because scams rarely rely on just one lie — they stack several of these tactics together, and seeing the pattern laid out plainly makes it much easier to recognize before money changes hands.

Red flags checked
0 of 10
Check the boxes below that match what you've been told or shown.
Promises "guaranteed" returns, or says it's "risk-free"
Pressures you to act right now, before the "opportunity" closes
You earn more by recruiting other people to join
They contacted you first — an unsolicited message, DM, or call
Asks for your seed phrase, private key, or wallet password
Uses a celebrity or influencer endorsement you can't verify elsewhere
The platform isn't registered with any recognized financial regulator
Wants funds sent to a personal wallet, not a verified exchange
Started as friendship or romance before "investment" came up
You can't find independent reviews or verifiable company information
The lesson behind the number

Real investments never need to rush you, never ask for your seed phrase, and never pay you for bringing in the next person. One flag is a warning. Two or more is a pattern. The safest move is always the one you can undo — walk away, and check again tomorrow with a clear head.

Spot it before it costs you. Every week.

Rising Lion Money covers the real patterns behind money moves across Africa — including the ones designed to take yours. Free, every week.

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