We3volution
Check First & DYOR
Use this page when you are about to click, install, send money or approve something.
Doing your own research is mostly about slowing down and checking facts. Scams rely on urgency and the appearance of trust. If you cannot answer the questions below calmly, do not proceed.
Questions for everyone
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Did this message, call or pop-up arrive unexpectedly?
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Is anyone rushing me, threatening me, or offering a prize that expires now?
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Did I find the website, app or phone number myself - or did I use the one in the message?
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Am I about to type a password, one-time code, seed phrase or recovery phrase?
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Am I about to install an app, extension or file I was not expecting?
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Am I about to scan a QR code from an email or text?
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Would I still do this if I waited ten minutes and asked someone I trust?
If the answer to the last question is no, stop.
What to do instead
Open the official app from your home screen, or type the address you already know. Do not use sponsored search results. Do not call a number from an unexpected text. When in doubt, do nothing.
If you use a digital wallet
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Never type a seed phrase or private key into a website, pop-up, email or chat.
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Bookmark official sites. Do not reach a wallet or exchange through an ad.
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Check the full address before you send. Do not rely on the first and last characters.
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Reject prompts that ask for unlimited access to your tokens.
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Leave unexpected tokens and NFTs alone. Receiving them is not the danger. Interacting with them can be.
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Install apps and extensions only from the official publisher. Read the permissions.
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Use a separate low-value (burner) wallet for new or unfamiliar sites.
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Prefer an authenticator app over codes sent by text.
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Review and remove old token approvals from time to time (for example with a well-known approval checker such as revoke.cash).
If a site says it's only a free login, but the wallet window warns that a contract wants access to your tokens, deny it and close the tab.
If you are looking at a token or project:
Do Your Own Research (DYOR)
What DYOR Actually Means
"Do Your Own Research" doesn't mean reading the project's own website - that's marketing, not research. Real DYOR has three steps.
Step A - Verify Everything Independently
Read the whitepaper critically. If it's full of buzzwords - "quantum," "AI-powered," "blockchain-enabled synergy" - without actually explaining how anything works, it's fluff. Look for specifics: how does the technology work, who built it, where is the code.
Step B - Test the Community
Join the project's Discord or Telegram and ask a hard technical question - "How does the liquidity locking work?" or "Where can I see the token vesting schedule?" If you're banned, called a FUDder, or ignored, leave. Legitimate projects welcome scrutiny.
Step C - Use the Right Tools
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DEXTools / DexScreener - check the Security tab on any token. Shows whether the contract is verified, whether there are mint functions (allowing the developer to create unlimited new tokens), and other risk indicators
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TokenSniffer - paste any token address for an automated risk score based on common scam patterns
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Revoke.cash - shows every token approval your wallet has ever signed and lets you revoke them. Essential if you've ever connected your wallet to a site you're not sure about. Check this regularly
Red flags
Look out for:
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Guaranteed returns
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Extreme urgency
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A request for your seed phrase
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An unexpected token in your wallet
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A job that needs crypto before you start or to interact with some
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An unexpected “crypto tax” bill with a link or a wallet-connect button
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A recovery agent who wants an upfront fee after you have already lost money
Social & Behavioural Red Flags
Follower Discrepancy
A project has 50,000 followers on X but gets 3 likes and no comments on every post. Followers were bought to create the appearance of credibility. Engagement tells you far more than follower count.
The Recycled Account
Scammers often buy existing social media accounts to make a new project look established.
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Check the history: If a brand-new project has an account containing old posts about unrelated topics, it is likely a purchased scam page.
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Check the creation date: On platforms like X (Twitter), you can easily see when an account was created. A "new" project using an old account is a major red flag.
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Look for missing pasts: Scammers sometimes delete old posts to hide the account's history. Be cautious if an old account suddenly started posting about a new project with nothing else in its history.
Locked or Disabled Comments
If a project disables comments on their posts, they're almost certainly preventing victims from warning others. Legitimate projects don't fear questions.
The Fake VC Bluff
Scammer websites often display logos of well-known investment firms - Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz - to imply backing. Go directly to the VC firm's official website and check their portfolio. If the project isn't listed, it's a lie.
Shill Armies
Hundreds of accounts posting identical - "This is the next 100x gem 🚀" - under every crypto influencer's post. Coordinated artificial hype is a standard pump and dump setup.
Anonymous Team With No History
Some legitimate developers work anonymously, but a project with no verifiable team, no history in other projects, and AI-generated profile photos is a significant risk.
Technical Checks
The Honeypot Test
If a token chart shows nothing but upward movement with zero red candles, it's likely a honeypot - people can buy in but the contract prevents anyone from selling. Use DEXTools or TokenSniffer to check before touching it.
Liquidity Pool Size
A token with a $10 million market cap but only $5,000 in the liquidity pool means you won't be able to sell without crashing the price to zero. Check the liquidity before buying anything.
Token Unlock Schedules
If the development team holds 50% of the token supply and those tokens aren't locked or vested, they can dump everything on retail investors at any point. Look for transparent, verifiable vesting schedules.
The Audit Warning
A security audit from a reputable firm (CertiK, Hacken, OpenZeppelin) is a good sign - but verify it. Scammers regularly forge audit PDFs, and some commission a genuine audit on a clean contract before deploying a different, malicious version. Always check the auditor's official website to confirm the project is listed.
The Golden Rules
If you feel urgency or FOMO - that is your signal to stop, not to act. Close the tab. Walk away for ten minutes.
DYOR.
You do not have to buy anything. Walking away is a valid result of research.
Don't spend what you can't afford to lose.
Use a burner wallet for anything new or unfamiliar.
Next
Understand the pattern → How scams work
Look up a tactic → Threat directory
How to report → Stay Safe