Social media is filled with crypto giveaways, but I never expected to fall for one. One day, while scrolling through Twitter, I saw a tweet from what looked like the official account of a major crypto exchange. The tweet announced a giveaway to celebrate the platform’s anniversary, promising to double any crypto sent to their wallet address.

The post had thousands of likes, retweets, and comments from users claiming they had already received their rewards. The account had a blue verification badge, which reassured me that it was genuine. Excited, I sent $1,000 worth of Bitcoin to the address provided, fully expecting to see $2,000 in return.

After an hour with no response, I became anxious and decided to double-check. I visited the exchange’s official website and social media accounts but found no mention of the giveaway. That’s when I realized I had been scammed. The account wasn’t official—it was a cleverly disguised impersonation, complete with a forged verification badge and fake engagement to make it look credible.

Although I lost my Bitcoin, the experience taught me an invaluable lesson: never trust giveaways that require you to send funds first. Legitimate giveaways don’t ask for money or crypto upfront. Always verify such offers through official channels and avoid acting on impulse, even if everything appears authentic.