Crypto transfers are irreversible, which is why scammers love this market: once the money is gone, it is almost impossible to get back. The good news is that most schemes repeat themselves and are not hard to recognise. We have collected the eight most common schemes and simple rules to protect yourself.

1. Cloned exchanger websites

Scammers copy the design of a well-known service and register a look-alike domain — with an extra letter, a hyphen or a different domain zone. The link is spread through ads, chats and search results.

How to protect yourself: open the website from a saved bookmark and check the address in your browser bar. The official Brothers Exchange website is brothers.exchange.

2. Fake “support” in messengers

Fraudsters create accounts with similar names and avatars and message customers themselves: “your order is stuck, please send it again” or “pay to these new details”.

How to protect yourself: use only the contacts published on the official website in the Contacts section. Payment details for an order are shown only on the order page and in the order confirmation email. If you are sent any others, do not transfer anything.

3. Address poisoning in your transaction history

A tiny amount arrives in your wallet from an address that looks very similar to one you use. The idea is that next time you will copy the address from your history and send your money to the scammer.

How to protect yourself: never copy a recipient's address from your transaction history, and check the full address. Read more in the article “How to Check a Wallet Address Before Sending”.

4. A rate that is “too good”

A rate noticeably better than the market, “today only” and “just for you”. The goal is to make you act fast without checking the counterparty.

How to protect yourself: compare the rate with the market and with other services' offers. If the terms look unrealistic, they probably are.

5. Requests for your seed phrase or a confirmation code

“To verify your wallet”, “to return your funds”, “for verification” — the cover stories vary, but the goal is the same: to gain access to your money.

How to protect yourself: your seed phrase, private keys and confirmation codes are for you alone. No honest service asks for them, and Brothers Exchange is no exception.

6. “Pay a fee to unlock your withdrawal”

The victim is shown “profits” on a fake investment platform or a “stuck” transfer and is asked to pay a tax, insurance or a fee. Once paid, a new reason appears.

How to protect yourself: the terms of an honest service are known in advance and do not change during the deal. At Brothers Exchange, the rate and the direction's fee are visible before you create an order, and no payout is made at a rate changed without your consent.

7. Intermediaries and “triangle” schemes

A scammer acts as an intermediary between you and another person: you send crypto, while the cash or transfer goes to a third party — or you receive someone else's, sometimes stolen, money. In the end, claims may be made against you.

How to protect yourself: do not take part in deals where the sender and the recipient are different people, and do not accept funds from strangers. At Brothers Exchange, the sender and the recipient of funds under an order must be the same person — the one who created it.

8. Counterfeit banknotes and swapped bundles

When exchanging with private individuals, you may encounter counterfeit notes, “dummy” bundles and distraction tactics during counting.

How to protect yourself: count the money yourself and do not let it out of your sight. At Brothers Exchange, cash is counted and checked for authenticity in the customer's presence, and you have the right to count and check the banknotes before the handover is complete.

General security rules

Do not rush: pressure and urgency are the scammer's main tools.
Verify the domain, contacts and payment details against official sources.
Study the service's rules and reviews before the deal.
Keep your seed phrase offline and never share it.
Save your correspondence, order numbers and transaction hashes.

If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from Brothers Exchange, forward it to support through the official contacts — we will check it and advise you on what to do.

Crypto Exchange Scams: 8 Common Schemes and How to Protect Yourself