Crypto Shopping Scam: How to Spot and Avoid Fake Stores and Fake Airdrops

When you hear about a crypto shopping scam, a fraudulent scheme where fake websites or influencers trick people into sending crypto to non-existent stores or fake airdrops. Also known as crypto fraud, it’s one of the fastest-growing ways people lose money in crypto—not because they made a bad trade, but because they trusted something that wasn’t real. These scams don’t need hacking. They just need you to click, connect your wallet, and type in your seed phrase. And they’re getting smarter.

Look at the posts below. You’ll see fake crypto airdrop, a trick where scammers pretend to give away free tokens from projects like MultiPad, Metahero, or FOC—but only if you send crypto first. Also known as fake token giveaway, these are everywhere, especially on Twitter and Telegram. Then there’s fake crypto exchange, a website that looks like Binance or Coinbase but has no security, no audits, and no customers—just a form asking you to deposit. Platforms like ko.one, Horizon Dex, and BITEXBOOK are dead giveaways: no reviews, no support, no real trading history. And don’t forget crypto fraud, the umbrella term for everything from fake NFT marketplaces to phishing sites that copy real project logos to steal your funds. It’s not just one type of scam—it’s a whole ecosystem built on hype, urgency, and false trust.

These scams thrive on one thing: your hope. They promise free tokens, high returns, or exclusive access. But real projects don’t ask you to send ETH to claim airdrops. Real exchanges don’t disappear after you deposit. Real teams don’t hide behind anonymous Twitter accounts and fake YouTube videos. The ones you see in the posts below—AFEN Marketplace, XCV airdrop, Ariva x CMC—all have one thing in common: they don’t exist. And the people behind them already have your money.

What you’ll find here aren’t just warnings. You’ll see real examples of what these scams look like, how they’re built, and how to check if something’s legit before you click. No fluff. No theory. Just what you need to see, spot, and walk away from.