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Phishing
Phishing is a scam in which someone pretends to be a company, service or person you know, usually by email, text or a fake website, to trick you into handing over information. In crypto the target is often your seed phrase, your login, or a signature from your wallet.
What it means for you. A real wallet app or exchange never asks for your seed phrase; anyone who has it can empty the wallet. Phishing sites copy real ones, so check the exact web address before connecting a wallet or typing a password. Crypto sent or signed away on a fake site usually cannot be reversed.
Sources: FTC: How to recognize and avoid phishing scams, ethereum.org: Scam help and reporting · checked 4 October 2026
Social engineering
Social engineering is manipulating a person, rather than breaking software, to get them to hand over information, access or money. In crypto it usually means talking someone into revealing a seed phrase, approving a transaction or sending funds, often by posing as someone they would believe.
What it means for you. No genuine support team needs your seed phrase, private key or remote access to your computer, so any request for them is the attack itself. When a message pushes urgency, contact the company yourself using an address or number you already had, not the link or number in the message. Crypto sent this way usually cannot be recovered.
Sources: CISA: Avoiding social engineering and phishing attacks, ethereum.org: Security and scam prevention · checked 4 October 2026