More people lose Bitcoin to scams than to anything else — and Asia is heavily targeted. The good news: nearly every scam follows a predictable pattern, and once you can see the red flags, you're extremely hard to fool. This short, essential course shows you the most common scams in the region, an instant red-flag checklist, how to lock down your accounts, and what to do if something goes wrong. Finish this and you'll be safer than most.
📚 Lessons
Open each lesson, take the quick check, then mark it complete to earn XP.
The scams targeting Asia
Know your enemy. These are the most common in the region:
- "Pig butchering" / romance scams — a friendly stranger on social media or a dating app builds trust over weeks, then lures you into a fake "investment" that shows fake profits until you can't withdraw. The #1 crypto scam in Asia.
- Fake exchanges & apps — slick platforms (often promoted in chat groups) that let you "deposit" but never let you withdraw.
- "Guaranteed returns" / Ponzi schemes — "earn 2% per day", "double your BTC". Real Bitcoin has no guaranteed yield.
- Giveaway & impersonation scams — "send 0.1 BTC, get 0.2 back", fake celebrity/exchange accounts.
- Phishing — fake emails/sites/SMS that copy a real exchange to steal your login or seed phrase.
- "Recovery" scams — after you've been scammed, a second scammer offers to "recover" your funds for a fee. Don't.
The instant red-flag checklist
Memorize these. If you see any of them, stop:
- 🚩 Guaranteed or fixed profits ("2% daily", "risk-free"). Impossible in real markets.
- 🚩 Urgency & pressure ("act now", "offer ends today", "you'll miss out").
- 🚩 Unsolicited contact — a stranger DMs you about an opportunity.
- 🚩 Anyone asking for your seed phrase or private keys. Always a scam.
- 🚩 "Send first, get more back" giveaways. No one doubles your Bitcoin for free.
- 🚩 Requests to install remote-access apps or move chat off the platform.
- 🚩 Can deposit but not withdraw — the classic fake-platform tell.
Lock down your accounts
Make yourself a hard target:
- Use an authenticator app for 2FA (not SMS). SIM-swap attacks can hijack SMS codes; app-based or hardware 2FA is far safer.
- Unique, strong passwords for every exchange — ideally via a password manager. Never reuse your email password.
- Secure your email first — it's the master key that can reset everything else. Protect it with strong 2FA.
- Bookmark the real exchange URL and use it every time. Don't click links in emails or search ads (which can be fake).
- Be careful on public Wi-Fi; avoid logging into exchanges on untrusted networks or shared computers.
- Withdraw real savings to self-custody — the safest coins are the ones not sitting on any account.
If something goes wrong
Acted too fast, or think you've been targeted? Move calmly but quickly:
- Stop all contact with the scammer. Don't send "one more payment" to unlock funds — that's how the trap deepens.
- Secure what's left: change passwords, revoke sessions, move any remaining funds to a fresh self-custody wallet if your accounts may be compromised.
- If your seed phrase was exposed, create a brand-new wallet and move funds immediately — the old one is no longer safe.
- Report it to the exchange and your local cybercrime authority. It may help others even if recovery is unlikely.
- Beware "recovery agents." Anyone promising to get your money back for an upfront fee is a second scam.
🎯 Final exam
Score 70% or higher to pass and unlock your shareable certificate.
Put it into practice
You've learned the theory — now take the safe next step with our hand-picked, regulation-aware guides for Asia.