1. The fake middleman
A "trusted middleman" offers to hold the funds during the trade. He has the same name and avatar as a well-known middleman, but it is not him. Once paid, he vanishes.
The habit: open a ticket yourself on the middleman's official server. Never trust a middleman who comes to you in a DM.
2. The fake payment proof
You get a "paid" screenshot, a fake PayPal email or a link to the wrong transaction. You deliver, and you never received anything.
The habit: check the payment in your own wallet or account, never on a picture. For a crypto transaction, check the destination address and the number of confirmations.
3. "Send first"
The seller insists that you pay first, with an excuse: in a hurry, "I have lots of vouches", "that's how it always works". This is behind most reported scams.
The habit: for any amount that matters, use a real middleman or on-chain collateral, like Mivora Vault on partner servers.
4. Fake staff or fake support
Someone says they are a moderator, wallet support or a "security team". They ask for your recovery phrase, a QR code login or to install an app.
The habit: real support never asks for your recovery phrase. Never scan a Discord login QR code sent by someone: it gives them your account.
5. The swapped address
Malware changes the address you copied, or the scammer sends an address that looks like the right one, with the same first and last characters. This is called address poisoning.
The habit: compare the whole address, not just the start and the end. Even better: check it with Shield before you send.
6. The fake giveaway or airdrop
"You won", "claim your free tokens": the link leads to a site that asks you to connect your wallet or sign a transaction. The signature drains your wallet.
The habit: never sign something you do not understand. A real gift never asks you to pay fees or connect your wallet to an unknown site.
7. A friend's hacked account
A friend messages you to borrow money or to test "their game". Their account was stolen, and the file or link is there to steal yours.
The habit: if a money request surprises you, call or text your friend another way.
What Shield does
Before every send, Mivora Shield compares the recipient with a list of addresses reported in scam tickets and by users, and warns you. An address with no report is not a guarantee: the habits above remain your best protection.