As the most important social platform in the cryptocurrency world, Telegram not only facilitates user communication, it has also become a favorite "dark web" for scammers. If you want to remain invincible in the TG arena, you must master the following safety operations. Let's transform from a rookie to a hero together!
Introduction: When you are wandering in the ocean of Telegram, have you ever been troubled by these problems?
"XXX is airdropped, come and get it!" - Is there such a thing as pie in the sky?
"Hey old man, I'll give you a chance to make a lot of money!" - Could it be that he is the chosen one?
"Dear user, your account has security risks..."——What would the official customer service say like this?
"Hello, this is the official XXX group..." - Why is there no one alive in the group?
These seemingly friendly messages often hide murderous intentions behind them. In the world of Telegram, scammers are everywhere and difficult to detect. So how can you travel around TG safely and stylishly? Next, let us master the strongest Telegram security tips together!
1. Personal protection: account security settings are indispensable
As a newbie to TG, the first task is to put on a layer of body armor for your account. The following settings can make your account security soar:
1.1 Hidden mobile phone number: top secret, no one can see it
Settings path: Privacy & Security - Mobile Number - Who can see my mobile number? - no one
Why do you want to set it up like this? If your mobile phone number falls into the hands of scammers, they can easily impersonate you and even reset your various accounts through SMS verification codes. So, never let anyone see your mobile number.
1.2 Restrict others from finding you through your mobile phone number: only close relatives and friends can find you
Settings Path: Privacy & Security - Mobile Number - Who can find me by my number? - My contacts
This setting can prevent strangers from finding your TG account through your mobile phone number. After all, in the anonymous world of TG, none of us knows whether the other person is good or evil. Limiting harassment from strangers is also a way to protect privacy.
1.3 Hide the last online time: disappear without leaving any traces
Settings Path: Privacy & Security - Last seen/Online - Who can see my last seen online? - no one
Have you ever thought that scammers can deduce your work and rest patterns through your last online time? With this information, they can more accurately execute the scam. So, keep it a mystery and don’t let anyone know when you will be online.
1.4 Set up two-step verification: multiple insurances, double security
Settings path: Settings - Privacy & Security - Two-step verification Two-step verification is like the second line of defense for your account. Even if a scammer gets your password, they can't log in without two-step verification. Therefore, please be sure to turn on two-step verification to add an extra layer of insurance to your account.
1.5 Turn off prompt message preview: avoid privacy leakage and prevent others from peeping
Setting path: Notifications and sound effects - Prompt message preview - Never You definitely don’t want others to take advantage of the opportunity of looking at your phone to secretly peek at your TG messages, right? Turn off message preview to maximize the privacy of your chat. This small setting has a big effect.
In addition to the above basic settings, I also have some advanced security suggestions:
1.6 Don’t add contacts easily: In the vast sea of people, who is your friend and who is your enemy?
Don’t apply through random strangers’ friend requests. Scammers often gain your trust by adding friends and then commit fraud. We must be cautious about friend requests from strangers.
1.7 Do not save sensitive information in TG: private keys, mnemonic phrases, and never show them to others.
Once your TG account is stolen, all the information in it may fall into the hands of scammers. Therefore, do not save any sensitive information related to assets in TG, such as private keys, mnemonic phrases, etc. This information must be saved offline, and the more concealed it is, the safer it is.
1.8 Always be vigilant: there is no free lunch
In the world of TG, don’t believe anyone’s promises easily, especially those “airdrops”, “gift coins”, etc. that sound very tempting. Remember, there is no free lunch. Everything that seems "free" may be a trap for scammers.
2. Fierce eyes: fake official and fake customer service can be seen through at a glance
In the world of TG, one of the most common scams is to pretend to be official customer service and trick users into revealing sensitive information. So how to distinguish between true and false? Please keep these points in mind:
2.1 Official customer service will never take the initiative to chat with users privately.
Any private message claiming to be official is definitely a liar. Just imagine, how can an official customer service have time to chat privately with each user one-on-one? Therefore, any so-called "official customer service" who takes the initiative to chat with you privately is a scammer.
2.2 There is usually a "✅" mark after the official name.
If there is no such logo, nine times out of ten, it is fake. This small "✅" logo is TG's official certification for real accounts. Therefore, before you interact with any account claiming to be "official", please be sure to verify whether the other party has this certification mark.
For example, the picture below:
2.3 Carefully identify the username (Username) of the official account.
Scammers use extremely similar usernames to confuse users. One of the common tricks used by scammers is to register a username that is very similar to the official account. For example, if the official username is "OfficialTON", the scammer may register "0fficialTON" (note that the first character is the number "0"). So, when confirming official identity, be sure to check every character carefully and don’t be confused by similar usernames.
2.4 Anyone who asks you to provide keys, private keys, and verification codes is a scammer!
This is probably the most important point. Regardless of whether the other party claims to be official customer service, a project party, or your friend for many years, as long as they ask you to provide sensitive information such as keys, private keys, and verification codes, they are definitely scammers. Real officials and friends will never ask you for this information.
3. Be prepared: group chat traps, startling at every step
In addition to private messages, criminals often use the group chat function to set traps. Facing all kinds of Telegram groups, we need to be more vigilant:
3.1 Fake official group:
Scammers will forge official logos and create groups that closely resemble official groups. Check carefully before joining. Just like fake official customer service, scammers will also fake official groups. These fake groups usually use names and avatars that are very similar to the official groups in order to deceive users' trust. Therefore, before joining any group, be sure to confirm the authenticity of the group on the official website and other channels.
3.2 Fraud trap group:
The so-called "XXX airdrop group" and "XXX discussion group" are most likely scams. Don’t be greedy for petty gains and avoid being deceived. Scammers love to use so-called "airdrops", "gifts" and other gimmicks to attract users to join the group. These groups often appear under the banner of "official discussion group" or "airdrop activity group", but are actually traps set by scammers. If you join these groups, you are likely to be induced to click on phishing websites, or be deceived into private keys or mnemonic phrases. Therefore, do not enter unfamiliar groups at will, and do not trust others easily in the group.
3.3 AI robot group:
A group full of robots interacting with each other, with the purpose of creating false prosperity and making you relax your vigilance. Don't be fooled by appearances! Some groups look lively, but if you look closely, they are all robots swiping the screen. The purpose of this kind of group is to create an illusion of false prosperity, making you mistakenly think that this is a popular project, so you can relax your vigilance. When encountering this kind of group, keep your eyes open and don't be deceived by superficial phenomena.
4. Crack the trick one by one: all kinds of deceptions, crack them one by one
In addition to the common scams mentioned above, there are many kinds of scams in the TG arena. Next, let’s break it down one by one:
4.1 Zero-amount transfer scam:
Scammers send 0-amount transfers and leave links to phishing websites. Don't click! You may be curious, why would a scammer transfer 0 coins to you? This is actually a bait. Scammers hope you click on that phishing website and steal your sensitive information. Therefore, we must be more vigilant about such inexplicable transfers and do not click on any links at will.
4.2 False airdrop scam:
The purpose of so-called "airdropping tokens into your wallet" is to induce you to authorize or transfer funds. Please be vigilant! The airdrop scam can be said to be one of the most common scams in TG. Scammers claim to airdrop tokens to you, but only if you authorize or transfer money first. Once you do this, your wallet may become a scammer’s cash machine. So, don’t believe any “airdrop” that requires you to pay first, it’s all a scam.
4.3 Fake customer service scam:
Scammers claim to help you "create wallets" and "synchronize wallets," but in fact they steal your mnemonic phrases and private keys. Please decline all requests for sensitive information! In TG, there has never been any "official customer service" that actively provides services such as "wallet creation" and "wallet synchronization". These are common tricks used by scammers. Their purpose is to trick you into providing sensitive information such as mnemonic phrases and private keys, thereby stealing your assets. So, don’t trust any request for sensitive information, no matter who the other person claims to be.
4.4 Malware scams:
Scammers use files, links, etc. to lure you into downloading malware to steal your information. Don’t click on things from unknown sources! When you receive inexplicable files or links in TG, your first reaction should be to be vigilant. This is most likely malware sent by a scammer. Once you download and run it, your device can be taken over by hackers and all your information is completely exposed. Therefore, do not click on files and links from unknown sources at will. This is the most basic security common sense.
5. Learn from history: warnings from real cases
5.1 Trojan horse intrusion case
The person in charge of a certain project received a message from a self-proclaimed well-known venture capital, inviting him to participate in a video conference. The other party recommended the use of specific conferencing software, claiming to have AI real-time translation capabilities. In fact, the software was a Trojan, which caused multiple wallets to be emptied and a loss of over $150,000.
Lesson:
Be cautious when downloading unknown software
Verify domain name registration time
Use tools such as VirusTotal to detect
Use separate devices for important accounts
5.2 Social Work Phishing Case
User A contacted B in exchange for cryptocurrency, obtained the information and stole B’s account. Then B's identity was used to continue defrauding, resulting in a series of frauds.
Precautions:
Verify contact identity
Do not share screenshots easily
Be wary of verification code scams
Turn on two-step verification
6. Soldiers are valuable and quick: Don’t panic if you are stolen, stopping losses quickly is the key
No matter how careful we are, there will inevitably be times when we are careless. Once you find that you have been scammed, please take the following measures immediately to minimize your losses:
Calmly analyze and confirm the fact that you have been deceived. When you realize you may have been scammed, the first step is to calm down and sort out what happened. Confirm whether you have actually been scammed and the specific circumstances of your losses. Only by understanding these can you take targeted action.
Immediately change the passwords of all relevant accounts. Once it is confirmed that you have been scammed, the first priority is to control the losses. Immediately change the passwords of all related accounts, including TG, exchanges, wallets, etc. At the same time, if your TG account is stolen, please immediately go to "Settings-Privacy and Security-Start Session" and log out of all other devices. This will prevent scammers from continuing to use your account. If funds are stolen, contact the exchange or wallet as soon as possible to try to freeze or recover them.
If your funds are transferred to an exchange, please contact the exchange’s customer service immediately, explain the situation, and request to freeze the funds. If it was transferred to another wallet, please contact the wallet's development team to see if there is a way to recover it. Time is money, and the sooner you take action, the greater your chances of recovery.
Collect evidence, report the case to law enforcement authorities, and actively cooperate with investigations. While taking stop-loss measures, you should also collect evidence and prepare to report the case to law enforcement authorities. Keep all chat records, transaction records, etc., these are valuable evidences. Then, report the crime to the local police and actively cooperate with the police investigation. Only with the intervention of law enforcement agencies can it be possible to truly punish scammers and recover losses.
Summarize lessons and strengthen prevention awareness. "Every time you suffer, you gain wisdom." The experience of being deceived is heartbreaking, but it is also a valuable lesson. We must sum up our experience, reflect on our mistakes, and always remind ourselves to be more vigilant. Only by constantly learning and growing can we navigate safely in the complex world of TG.
7. Hero’s Tips: Always be vigilant and control the overall situation
The situation in TG Jianghu is treacherous and unpredictable. If you want to be calm in this world, the above-mentioned tricks alone are not enough. We also need to master some hero-level thinking:
Do not easily trust the promises of others, especially strangers. There is no free lunch in the world! This sentence is perfect in the world of TG. The so-called "free airdrops" and "high interest returns" are often traps set by scammers. As practitioners of TG Jianghu, we must always be vigilant and not easily believe in anyone's promises, especially strangers.
Always be on your toes and be skeptical of everything. It’s better to miss it than to believe it wrongly! In the world of TG, staying vigilant means protecting yourself. Be skeptical of any information and don't believe it easily. Even if some so-called "opportunities" are missed because of this, it is much better than trusting others and suffering heavy losses. Remember, it’s better to miss it than to believe it wrongly!
Get the big picture and understand developments in the crypto world. Only when you know yourself and your enemy can you win every battle! The world of TG is changing rapidly, and various projects and information are emerging one after another. As a qualified "TG Hero", we must always pay attention to industry trends and understand the latest progress of various projects. Only by having a comprehensive understanding of the entire crypto world can we be able to deal with various challenges with ease.
Develop the ability to think independently and not follow what others say. Only by seeking verification from many sources can you distinguish right from wrong! In TG, a world of information explosion, everyone seems to have their own "judgment." But we cannot follow others blindly. On the contrary, we must cultivate the ability to think independently and learn to analyze and judge by ourselves. For any information, you must verify it from multiple sources and do not believe it easily. Only in this way can we find the truth among the chaotic information.
Conclusion: TG has a long journey, and safety is always the top priority during the journey.
I hope that these tips will help you move forward safely in the world of Telegram and become a true security hero! Let us always remain vigilant, use the sword of wisdom and prudence to cut off the conspiracies of scammers, and jointly create a safer and more honest encryption world.
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