Free · Public-funded · Advisory-only
Is crypto a scam?
Short answer: crypto is a real technology — most of the apps sold to retail investors are scams. Bitcoin and Ethereum are legitimate networks. The "AI trading bot" your Telegram mentor is pushing almost certainly is not.
GACS is a free, public-safety scanner. We don't charge, don't execute trades, and don't take custody of funds. We're funded entirely by community donations.
Check any crypto site
Paste a URL — instant verdict against the global community blacklist.
Scan a URLCheck a wallet address
See if a wallet has been reported for theft, draining or pig-butchering.
Check a walletCrypto is real — these "crypto apps" are not
- Any platform promising guaranteed daily / weekly returns.
- Trading dashboards that show profits but block withdrawals.
- 'Investment mentors' from Tinder / Hinge / WhatsApp (pig-butchering).
- Celebrity giveaway scams on X, TikTok, YouTube live streams.
- Recovery services DM-ing you after a loss — every single one is a scam.
- Wallet-drainer dApps that ask for unlimited token approvals.
FAQ
Is crypto a scam?
Cryptocurrency itself is a technology, not a scam — Bitcoin, Ethereum and others are real, audited networks. What's overwhelmingly scammy is the ecosystem around them: fake exchanges, fake AI trading bots, pig-butchering, celebrity impersonation and recovery scams. The asset class is legal; most of the apps marketed to retail users are not.
Is crypto a scam or legit?
Both, depending on what you're looking at. Major coins traded on regulated venues (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance regional entities, etc.) are legitimate. 'Guaranteed return' apps, off-platform 'mentors', and any site that asks you to wire fiat to an unknown wallet are almost certainly a scam.
How do I check if a crypto site is legit?
Run the URL through the GACS scam scanner. It cross-checks against a live community blacklist and flags new domains with high-risk patterns. Free, no signup, no execution.
What is the biggest crypto scam right now?
Pig-butchering — long-form romance or 'investment mentor' contact on social media or dating apps, then a fake trading platform that shows fake profits and locks withdrawals. It accounts for the largest dollar losses of any current crypto fraud.
Are crypto recovery services real?
Almost never. Anyone who guarantees recovery of stolen crypto for an upfront fee is itself a scam — they specifically target prior victims. Legitimate recovery is rare, slow, and runs through law-enforcement and exchanges, never DM 'specialists'.
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Support our mission →Authoritative sources
Independent primary sources used to check and corroborate the guidance on this page.
- US Commodity Futures Trading Commission — Customer Advisories
Regulator advisories on crypto investment and romance-investment fraud.
- US Securities and Exchange Commission — Investor.gov Alerts
Investment fraud warnings and firm/registration lookups.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Report crypto-investment losses and read the annual IC3 report.
- Chainalysis Crypto Crime Reports
Independent on-chain research on illicit crypto flows.
