Phishing (Crypto)

Phishing in crypto is a type of scam where an attacker impersonates a trusted service, wallet, exchange, project, or support agent to trick someone into giving up access to their assets. The goal is often to steal a seed phrase, private key, login code, or to get the victim to sign a malicious wallet transaction. Because crypto transactions are typically irreversible and wallets can be self-custodied, a successful phishing attempt can quickly drain funds with little chance of recovery.

Common examples include fake exchange login pages, imitation wallet pop-ups, fraudulent airdrop claims, and direct messages pretending to be customer support. A phishing site may look almost identical to the real one, but its purpose is to capture credentials or prompt a dangerous approval, such as granting a scam contract permission to spend tokens. A useful comparison is a fake bank email, but in crypto the attacker may not need your password if they can get your seed phrase or a signed approval.