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Free claim pages and surprise mints are warning signs
A free claim page or a surprise mint is a warning sign, even when the account that posted it looks official.
Written by John AlewineReviewed by the Crypto Guidance team
Published ยท Updated
A free token claim or a surprise mint is a bait page until you confirm it on your own. That holds even when the post comes from an account that looks official.
A hacked project account can post an "official" surprise mint to thousands of followers at once. The claim page then asks for a signature or a token approval dressed up as "verify wallet" or "claim." What you actually sign grants spending rights or executes transfers. In crypto the loot is irreversible.
An AI chatbot can explain what an airdrop or a mint is. It cannot see the claim page in front of you or tell you whether the account that posted it was hacked. The decision stays with you.
What to do instead
- Do not click a claim or mint link from a post, DM, or reply.
- If a page asks you to "verify wallet" or "claim" and you are not sure what the signature does, stop and close it.
- A seed phrase request ends it. The seed goes nowhere, ever.
- Keep a no-approvals vault wallet so one mistake cannot take everything.
The full habits live on the Security page. If you want someone with you before you do something irreversible, that is what consulting is for.