Impersonation and social engineering: when scammers pretend to be someone you trust

Social engineering means manipulating people instead of hacking computers. In crypto, the most common form is impersonation.

Typical impersonations

• Fake support: after you post a question online, "support" writes to you privately and asks you to verify your wallet, share codes or install remote-access software.
• Fake celebrities and influencers: cloned accounts promote giveaways or investment schemes.
• Fake apps and browser extensions: look-alike wallet apps that steal seed phrases, sometimes advertised in search results.
• Fake "recovery services": people who promise to recover lost or stolen crypto for an upfront fee.
• Romance and friendship scams: a long conversation that slowly leads to an "investment opportunity".

Warning signs

• They contact you first, especially in private messages.
• They ask for passwords, codes, seed phrases or remote access.
• They ask you to send crypto first.
• They push you to act quickly or to keep it secret.
• The offer is unusually generous.

Checks that work

• Contact organisations through their official website, not through links or numbers sent to you.
• Verify apps by the developer name and download them only from official sources.
• Ask a second person before any unusual transfer.
• Assume that lost crypto cannot be "recovered" for a fee.

On XFasil

XFasil support answers only inside the Support Center on the XFasil website. Official news is published on Announcements. XFasil never asks for your password, email codes or seed phrase. Learn more in the Security Center.