Read the pressure pattern
Scams often promise a reward or threaten account loss while demanding immediate action. Urgency, secrecy, unusual payment and requests for credentials are reasons to disengage.
Inspect destination and sender
Look for misspelled domains, altered social handles, shortened links and mismatched reply addresses. Do not rely on profile imagery or a search-ad position.
Respond after exposure
Change compromised passwords from a clean device, secure email and wallet access, contact verified providers and preserve evidence. Never pay a recovery agent who guarantees returned crypto.