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The top search result is not always the real site
A paid ad above the real result can lead to a lookalike copy, so the top result is not always the site you meant.
Written by John AlewineReviewed by the Crypto Guidance team
Published ยท Updated
When you look up a wallet, exchange, or marketplace, the first thing on the page can be a paid ad. Clone sites are pixel-perfect copies at lookalike domains, often promoted by paid ads above the real result. Sponsored search results are one of the standard delivery channels for phishing, along with DMs and replies.
Phishing is impersonation with a payment rail. In crypto the loot is irreversible, so there is no undo.
An AI chatbot can tell you the name of a wallet or service. A link anywhere, in an ad, a reply, or a chat answer, is still only a link. The decision stays with you, and the safe path is the one you saved.
What I do
- Skip the ads at the top of the results when you look up anything that holds money.
- Check the full address in the address bar before you connect or sign anything.
- Once you have the real site, save it and go from that saved link from then on.
- If a page asks for your seed phrase, close it.
The rest of the habits are on the Security page. If you want a second set of eyes before anything irreversible, that is what consulting is for.