Airdrops have become a popular way for crypto projects to reward their communities, and I’ve participated in several legitimate ones. But a recent experience with a fake airdrop made me rethink how careful I need to be.

One evening, I received an email from what appeared to be a well-known blockchain project, claiming I was selected for an exclusive airdrop to celebrate their platform’s anniversary. The email included their official logo, professional formatting, and even a link to a website that looked identical to the project’s real page. To claim the airdrop, all I had to do was connect my wallet to their portal and confirm the transaction.

Excited by the offer, I clicked the link and connected my wallet. The portal requested permission to “access my funds temporarily for verification,” which didn’t seem unusual at the time. Thankfully, before confirming the transaction, I noticed the gas fee estimate was unusually high. Suspicious, I double-checked the email and realized that the sender’s address was slightly different from the project’s official domain.

I immediately disconnected my wallet and changed my passwords, narrowly avoiding what would have been a devastating loss. The scammers had created a fake website and email campaign to steal funds from unsuspecting users by tricking them into granting full wallet permissions.

This close call taught me to never trust unsolicited airdrop offers and always verify announcements directly on the project’s official channels. Scammers rely on urgency and excitement to cloud your judgment. Take a moment to think, research, and confirm before making any decisions. In crypto, caution is the best defense.