As an active member of the crypto community, I often participate in airdrops to receive free tokens from new projects. One day, I received a message on Discord announcing an exclusive airdrop from a well-known blockchain project. The message included a link to claim the tokens, and the website looked identical to the project’s official site.

The airdrop required participants to connect their wallets and sign a transaction to verify their eligibility. Eager to claim my tokens, I connected my wallet and signed the transaction. At first, everything seemed normal, but within hours, I noticed that my wallet had been emptied of $6,000 worth of Ethereum and other tokens.

The transaction I had signed granted the scammers access to my wallet. They had created a phishing website that mimicked the official project’s site, and by the time I realized the truth, it was too late.

Lessons Learned
Double-Check URLs: Always verify the authenticity of websites before connecting your wallet. Look for slight differences in domain names.
Be Cautious with Transactions: Never sign a transaction without understanding what it authorizes. Scammers often hide malicious permissions in seemingly innocent transactions.
Use a Separate Wallet: When interacting with new platforms, use a wallet with minimal funds to limit potential losses.