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Bitcoin scams — the 2026 honest guide

Bitcoin scams cost victims billions every year. GACS is a free, public-safety scanner that checks any suspicious BTC site, wallet or social account against a live, community-updated blacklist — in seconds, with no signup.

Check a suspicious Bitcoin site

Paste any URL — instant cross-check against thousands of reported BTC scam domains.

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Look up a Bitcoin wallet

See if an address has already been reported for theft, draining or pig-butchering.

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The 6 most common bitcoin scams

Pig-butchering — fake romance plus a fake trading app that 'shows profits' then blocks withdrawals.
Fake exchanges and AI trading bots promising guaranteed BTC returns.
Celebrity / Elon-Musk-style giveaway scams: 'send 1 BTC, get 2 back'.
Recovery scams that re-victimise people who already lost BTC.
Wallet-drainer dApps that empty your wallet on approval.
Seed-phrase phishing from fake 'support' accounts on Telegram and X.

If you've already been scammed

Don't pay anyone who guarantees recovery. Preserve evidence, report to the right authority, and warn others — every report makes the global blacklist sharper.

Recovery steps Report to authorities Add to blacklist

FAQ

What is a bitcoin scam?

Any fraud that uses Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency to extract money — fake exchanges, 'guaranteed return' bots, romance/pig-butchering, fake giveaways, sextortion, and recovery scams that re-target existing victims. Once BTC leaves your wallet, it is functionally irreversible.

How do I know if a Bitcoin website is a scam?

Run the URL through the GACS scam scanner. It cross-checks against a live community blacklist of reported fake exchanges, fake AI bots, and impersonation sites, and flags new domains with high-risk patterns.

Can stolen Bitcoin be recovered?

Almost never directly. Anyone promising guaranteed recovery for an upfront fee is itself a scam. Real steps are to preserve evidence, report to your national cybercrime unit, and notify the receiving exchange — see our recovery guide.

How are most people scammed out of Bitcoin?

Pig-butchering (long-form romance plus a fake trading app) accounts for the largest dollar losses, followed by fake investment platforms, impersonation of celebrities and exchanges on social media, and 'support' phishing for seed phrases.

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More scam guides

Bitcoin fraud rarely travels alone — these patterns overlap.

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