Scams & fraud
Quick answer: Digital Assets UK's Scams & fraud section has 11 plain-English guides covering spotting, avoiding and reporting crypto scams — with links to official sources. Individual guides show their own review dates. This is free, independent general information, not financial advice.
Recognising crypto scams, reporting to Action Fraud and recovering funds where UK rules allow.
-
Clone firms
Fraudsters impersonate real FCA firms. A plain-English checklist before you send money.
-
Recovery scams
After losing crypto to fraud, a second scam often follows. How to recognise recovery fraud in the UK.
-
Romance & investment scams
How romance-led crypto investment scams (pig butchering) work, the warning signs at each stage, and what to do in the UK if you are already talking to a scammer.
-
Fake exchanges & apps
How fake crypto exchanges, clone websites and malicious apps steal UK deposits — the checks to run before sending money, and what to do if you already deposited.
-
Phishing & seed theft
How phishing messages, fake support staff and malicious sites steal seed phrases and drain UK crypto wallets — and the habits that make theft nearly impossible.
-
Pump-and-dumps & rug pulls
How pump-and-dump groups and rug pulls work, the red flags in new tokens, and why 'get in early' calls in chat groups almost always mean you are the exit liquidity.
-
Celebrity endorsement scams
How scammers use fake celebrity endorsements, fabricated news pages and deepfake videos to sell crypto schemes to UK consumers — and how to check what is real.
-
Giveaway & airdrop scams
How fake giveaways, doubling scams and malicious airdrop claim sites steal crypto — the difference from real airdrops, and what to check before connecting a wallet.
-
Job & task scams
How task-based job scams and fake crypto employers work in the UK — 'earn commission completing tasks', deposits to unlock wages, and money mule risks.
-
Authority impersonation
How scammers impersonate HMRC, police, banks and even the FCA to pressure UK victims into 'safeguarding' money in crypto — and how the real bodies actually behave.
-
All scam types
Every major UK crypto scam explained — phishing, pig butchering, clone firms, fake apps and recovery fraud.
Individual guide dates appear on their pages. Rates and allowances trace to our rates & thresholds data, checked September 2026.