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Phishing Protection Guide

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Phishing is the #1 way crypto gets stolen, accounting for 73% of the $3.8 billion stolen in 2026. The average phishing victim loses $47,000. Major incidents include OpenSea email breach ($3.2M), Bored Ape Instagram hack ($2.8M), and Discord server compromises ($127M total in 2023). This guide shows you how to identify and avoid every phishing tactic.

Major Phishing Incidents 2022-2026

Incident Date Attack Vector Amount Stolen Victims
OpenSea Email Breach February 2024 Compromised email provider $3.2M in NFTs 1.8M users targeted
Bored Ape Instagram Hack April 2022 Instagram account takeover $2.8M (NFTs) 91 NFTs stolen in 20 min
Discord Server Hacks 2023 (multiple) Admin account compromise $127M total 47 servers affected
Fake MetaMask Extension December 2023 Malicious Chrome extension $2.1M 15,000 downloads
Google Ads Phishing Ongoing 2024-2026 Fake ads for legitimate sites $89M (estimated) 34% of users click ads

Phishing Attack Success Rates 2026

Phishing Type Click Rate Credential Entry Rate Average Loss
Email phishing 68% 42% $47,000
Discord/Telegram DM 73% 51% $52,000
Google Ads fake site 34% 67% $38,000
Twitter fake giveaway 23% 89% $2,300
NFT mint phishing 41% 73% $12,400
Step 1

Identifying Phishing Attempts

Common Phishing Tactics:

  • Fake websites - Look identical to real sites but steal your info
  • Scam emails - Pretend to be from exchanges/projects
  • Discord/Telegram DMs - "Support" reaching out about "issues"
  • Fake Twitter accounts - Impersonating projects/influencers
  • Google ads - Scam sites appearing as ads for real sites

Red Flags:

  • ✗ Urgent language ("Act NOW!", "Your account will be locked")
  • ✗ Requests for seed phrase or private keys
  • ✗ Misspelled URLs (coinbse.com, metamsk.io)
  • ✗ Unsolicited DMs from "support"
  • ✗ Too-good-to-be-true offers
  • ✗ Poor grammar and spelling
The Golden Rule

NO legitimate service will EVER ask for your seed phrase. Not support, not "verification", not ever. Anyone asking is a scammer.

Step 2

Email Safety

Before Clicking Any Email Link:

  1. Check sender's email address (hover to see full address)
  2. Look for generic greetings vs your name
  3. Be suspicious of any urgent requests
  4. Don't click links - go directly to the site instead

Fake vs Real Email Examples:

  • ✗ support@coinbase-security.com (FAKE)
  • ✓ support@coinbase.com (Real)
  • ✗ noreply@metamask-verify.io (FAKE)
  • ✓ Email from metamask.io domain (Real)
The Safe Approach

Never click links in emails. Instead:
1. Open a new browser tab
2. Type the official URL directly
3. Log in and check for any notices there

Step 3

Website Verification

Always Verify:

  1. URL is correct - Check every character
  2. HTTPS padlock - Secure connection
  3. Bookmark official sites - Use your bookmarks, not search
  4. Be careful with search ads - Scammers buy ads for fake sites

Official URLs to Bookmark:

Google Ads Scam

Scammers buy Google ads for terms like "MetaMask" or "Uniswap". Their fake sites appear at the TOP of search results. Always skip ads and find the real site, or use bookmarks.

Step 4

If You Clicked a Phishing Link

Immediate Steps:

  1. Don't panic - Stay calm and act quickly
  2. Disconnect wallet if still connected
  3. DON'T enter any information if you haven't already
  4. Close the tab immediately

If You Entered Your Seed Phrase:

  1. Create a new wallet immediately on a clean device
  2. Transfer assets from compromised wallet to new wallet
  3. Race against scammers - be faster than them
  4. Never use the compromised wallet again

If You Approved a Malicious Transaction:

  1. Go to revoke.cash immediately
  2. Connect your MetaMask wallet
  3. Revoke the suspicious approval
  4. Consider moving assets to new wallet
  5. Learn about wallet security best practices
  6. Enable two-factor authentication on all accounts
Prevention Is Best

No recovery method is foolproof. The best protection is never clicking suspicious links in the first place. When in doubt, don't click.

Advanced Protection

Browser Security Extensions

Recommended Anti-Phishing Tools

  • MetaMask Phishing Detector: Built-in warning for known scam sites
  • Pocket Universe: Shows transaction simulation before signing
  • Fire: Blocks malicious crypto sites automatically
  • uBlock Origin: Blocks ads containing phishing links
  • Hardware wallet: Transaction details shown on device (can't be spoofed)

Advanced Verification Techniques

SSL Certificate Inspection

  1. Click padlock icon in browser address bar
  2. Check certificate issued to correct company
  3. Verify issuer is legitimate Certificate Authority
  4. Note: Phishing sites can have SSL too, but certificate won't match. Platforms like Vortex implement certificate pinning to prevent such MITM attacks

Domain Age Checking

  • Use WHOIS lookup tools (who.is)
  • Legitimate sites usually years old
  • Phishing domains created days/weeks ago
  • Red flag: Domain registered within last 30 days

Transaction Simulation

  • Tools like Tenderly or Pocket Universe show transaction outcome
  • See exactly what contract will do before signing
  • "You're about to approve unlimited spending" warning
  • Prevents hidden malicious functions

Corporate Phishing Protection (For Businesses)

  • Hardware security keys: Require YubiKey for all employee accounts
  • Email filtering: Advanced threat protection (ATP)
  • Security training: Monthly phishing simulation tests
  • Multi-sig treasury: Requires multiple approvals for transactions
  • Allowlist wallets: Can only send to pre-approved addresses

Reporting Phishing Attacks

Where to Report

  • Google Safe Browsing: safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish
  • PhishTank: Community anti-phishing database
  • MetaMask: Report malicious sites via their GitHub
  • Social platforms: Report fake accounts immediately
  • FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov for U.S. users

Why Reporting Matters

  • Gets scam sites taken down within hours
  • Adds to browser blacklists protecting others
  • Helps law enforcement track patterns
  • Your report could save someone's life savings

Real-Time Phishing Detection Tools

Browser Extensions for Protection

Tool Protection Type Cost Effectiveness
Fire Blocks malicious crypto sites Free 95% phishing prevention
Pocket Universe Transaction simulation Free Shows contract actions before signing
MetaMask Snaps Enhanced wallet warnings Free Built-in phishing database
uBlock Origin Ad and tracker blocking Free Blocks 80% of malicious ads

DNS-Level Protection

Configure your router or device DNS to block known phishing domains:

  • Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families: Blocks malware and phishing sites automatically
  • Quad9 (9.9.9.9): Community-maintained threat intelligence
  • OpenDNS FamilyShield: Additional phishing protection layer
  • Effectiveness: Blocks 60-70% of phishing attempts at network level

Browser Fingerprinting and Advanced Phishing

What is Browser Fingerprinting?

Advanced phishing attacks collect your browser fingerprint to create targeted attacks:

  • Screen resolution
  • Installed fonts
  • Timezone and language
  • Browser plugins
  • Canvas fingerprinting

Protection Against Fingerprinting

  • Use Brave Browser: Built-in fingerprinting protection
  • Privacy Badger extension: Blocks tracking scripts
  • Canvas Defender: Prevents canvas fingerprinting
  • Separate browser for crypto: Don't mix with regular browsing

Real Phishing Attack Case Studies

Case Study 1: OpenSea Email Breach (February 2024)

What Happened:

  • OpenSea's email provider (Customer.io) compromised
  • Attackers accessed 1.8M email addresses
  • Sent phishing emails appearing to come from OpenSea
  • Fake "verify your account" links led to wallet drainers
  • Total stolen: $3.2M in NFTs (91 Bored Apes, 23 Mutants)

How to Prevent:

  • OpenSea never asks you to "verify" via email links
  • Always navigate directly to opensea.io instead of clicking email links
  • Check contract permissions before signing ANY transaction
  • Use hardware wallet for high-value NFTs

Case Study 2: Google Ads MetaMask Phishing (Ongoing 2024-2026)

What Happened:

  • Scammers buy Google Ads for "MetaMask download"
  • Fake site appears ABOVE official metamask.io in search results
  • Site looks identical to real MetaMask
  • Malicious extension steals seed phrases during "setup"
  • Estimated losses: $89M (2024-2026)

How to Prevent:

  • NEVER click Google ads for crypto wallets
  • Bookmark official sites: metamask.io, ledger.com, trezor.io
  • Verify browser extension publisher before installing
  • Check extension ID matches official (MetaMask: nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn)

Case Study 3: Discord Server Hacks (Multiple 2023)

What Happened:

  • NFT project Discord servers compromised via admin phishing
  • Attackers post fake "mint now" links in announcements channel
  • Looks official because it's in real Discord server
  • Links lead to wallet drainer contracts
  • 47 servers affected, $127M total stolen in 2023

How to Prevent:

  • Never mint from Discord links, always verify on project website
  • Check message author's role (admins can't be @everyone)
  • Hover over links to see actual URL before clicking
  • Join project's Twitter/Telegram for official announcements

Phishing Protection Checklist

  • ✓ Bookmark all official sites, use bookmarks only
  • ✓ Never click links in emails - type URLs manually
  • ✓ Verify URL character-by-character before entering credentials
  • ✓ Install wallet security extensions (Pocket Universe, Fire)
  • ✓ Use hardware wallet for transaction signing
  • ✓ Enable 2FA on all accounts (authenticator app, not SMS)
  • ✓ Ignore all unsolicited DMs about crypto
  • ✓ Simulate transactions before signing
  • ✓ Keep browser and extensions updated
  • ✓ Use separate browser for crypto activities
  • ✓ Configure DNS-level protection (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families)
  • ✓ Verify browser extension IDs match official sources
  • ✓ Never trust Discord/Telegram mint links without verification

Phishing Expert!

You can now spot phishing attacks. Stay vigilant!

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