Key Points
The messaging app Telegram (TG) is known for its strong privacy features and is popular in the cryptocurrency community. However, some of the app’s features also provide opportunities for scammers, and users should be cautious when using Telegram.
Recently, there has been an increase in fraudulent activity related to it, especially cases where cybercriminals impersonate Binance employees to commit fraud, deploy phishing or investment scams, etc. Please note that if a Telegram user displays and claims to be their personal account information in the Bio column of their personal profile, the user is most likely a scammer, and the real account information should be in the username column.
In this article, we’ll cover common Telegram scams and share tips on how to avoid being fooled.
Scams impersonating Telegram accounts
Impersonating Binance employees
Please note that criminals often impersonate Binance employees.
In the first case, our Binance user met a so-called "financial advisor" on Telegram, who offered to help the user participate in the so-called "Binance Airdrop" event to make money. The scammer then impersonated Binance to notify the user that taxes needed to be paid and provided a phishing link for the user to pay.
Please note: scammers pretending to be Binance staff often use the official Binance logo and name. Their real purpose is to trick users into trusting them so that they can commit fraud.
Impersonating a Binance bot
Please note that criminals often impersonate Binance support bots.
Please note: The bot’s display name is “Binance Support”, but it is not an official Binance customer service channel account.
Impersonating Binance community
Below is an example of a fake Telegram group. The user received spam and was added to a Telegram group using the Binance logo, and the customer service representative in the chat channel was fake.
Please note: scammers introduced fake mining activities in the group chat, asking users to pay ETH and receive fake BNB.
Safety tips for preventing fake Telegram accounts
Please be sure to carefully verify the information of your Telegram contacts. You can find the details of your account on the account's profile page. Please pay special attention to the real account name in the username column. Do not just trust the information in the introduction section. The bio column can be modified at will, and anyone can lie that they are a Binance official channel staff in it. The following is a user profile page. Please note that scammers often display official-looking information in the profile column while covering up the username to deceive users.
Please note that if a Telegram user displays and claims to have personal account information in the Bio column of his/her profile, the user is very likely a scammer and the real account information should be in the username column.
When checking your account information, pay attention to every letter in your username, check uppercase and lowercase letters, and special characters. Some scammers use special character substitutions or similar-looking uppercase and lowercase characters to make their accounts look very similar to official accounts. If you don't check carefully, you may not even be able to tell the difference between the two accounts. For example: the scam account uses the lowercase form of the letter "L" "l" to replace the letter "I" in BINANCE, such as: BlNANCE. If you don't check carefully, the two characters look very similar at first glance!
In addition, we also provide Binance verification for verifying social media accounts. Enter the username in the search bar to view the verification results. The picture below shows the verification of Binance official accounts. If the TG contact provides users with a screenshot of the verification to gain trust, please be sure to carefully verify the TG account username information and source, and check it in Binance verification to ensure that the account is an official Binance channel account.
Telegram phishing scam
malicious software
Users will encounter various unofficial Telegram download information on search engines or various personal social media. These unofficial download channels usually repackage the Telegram software and add malicious features, thereby endangering user information and property security.
Please note: Currently, there is no official Chinese (CN) version of Telegram. Please do not download it to avoid becoming a victim of malware.
Cryptocurrency Giveaway Scams
Users often receive information about cryptocurrency giveaways in Telegram that invite users to pay a small fee. In many cases, the benefits of these activities are often described as very attractive.
The following is a real example of such a scam.
Beware: The screenshots show a giveaway scam where the scammers ask the user to pay a small amount of money upfront in order to receive a reward later. Once the user completes the transaction, they lose their valuable assets.
Safety tips for Telegram phishing scams
Please download software only from official channels. Always check the software download source and avoid installation packages from third-party websites. Unofficial clients may be maliciously modified to gain account control, read all chat records, and collect device information, posing a significant threat to account security. If you are using software downloaded from unofficial channels, please delete the software immediately and reinstall it from the official source.
Enable 2FA (two-factor authentication) to provide higher security protection for your TG account. This makes it more difficult for hackers to break into and take control of your account. Here are the steps to enable two-factor authentication on Telegram: (TG Profile → Privacy and Security → Two-step Verification).
When using Telegram, never share any personal or sensitive information. This includes the user's full name, username, phone number, email address, password, mnemonic phrase, bank account information, etc.
Never click on links shared by untrusted sources. Clicking on links or sharing sensitive information may result in the loss of personal information and personal property.
Telegram Investment Scam
Fake Airdrop
An airdrop scam is a phishing attack that tricks users into claiming a fake airdrop. Scammers usually need to convince users to pay, link their wallets to malicious smart contracts, or share private keys in order to claim the fake "airdrop." These airdrop promises never materialize, causing users to end up losing personal information and/or personal assets.
Please note: This is a fake IO.NET (IO) airdrop scam. Users are being led to believe that they can get a token that has not yet been listed through a "presale". Even if users receive IO tokens, they are likely fake.
Fake Tokens
The following are scams related to fake tokens. Scammers create temporary Telegram accounts/groups/websites as channels to promote fake tokens and deceive victims with extremely high returns, which are usually fake tokens. Fake tokens have no real value and no liquidity.
Please note: Fake token scams are common during the Launchpool period. If a marketing campaign claims to be part of the Binance Launchpool program but is issued on a platform other than Binance, it is likely a scam. For the latest Binance Launchpool activities, please check Binance's official page regularly for accurate and real-time information about the Binance Launchpool program.
Telegram Investment Scam Safety Tips
Don’t trust investments that promise high returns. If an investment looks unusually attractive, it could be a scam.
Please visit Binance official website to view official events, and only participate in official Binance events. Beware of fake events.
Before making an investment decision, please be vigilant and carefully study the project source and related details to ensure the authenticity of the project.
Further reading
Scammers on Telegram
Spot the Scam: Guarding Against Crypto Giveaway Scams
Crypto Security Intelligence: How to Identify and Avoid Fake Binance Launchpool Tokens
