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Stay Safe on Telegram: How to Identify and Avoid Scammers

Telegram scams often involve impersonators posing as official staff and reaching out via direct messages.

If you are unsure how to identify a scammer on Telegram, start with behavior: pressure to act fast, requests for license keys, private messages pretending to be support, or links that bypass official Gunbot channels.

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Telegram is a popular messaging app used for community engagement and support. However, its open nature can also attract malicious actors attempting to scam users.

Recognizing Official Staff​

Our official staff members typically include "Won't PM you first" in their usernames. This indicates that our team members will never initiate private or direct messages with you. If you need assistance, reach out to us first.

Common Tactics of Impersonators​

Here are documented examples of impersonators who have targeted our users:

Example of a scam attempt in Telegram private message Scammer impersonating Gunbot support staff Warning signs of a potential Telegram scam Suspicious private message from unknown contact

Be cautious if a new contact reaches out first, especially if they claim to be an admin. A key red flag is few or no shared groups, since scammers often lack shared community connections.

Example of fraudulent support message in Telegram

Treat direct messages from unknown individuals as suspicious. We do not contact you first and will adhere strictly to this policy.

How to Verify Authenticity​

If you're uncertain about a contact claiming to be staff, verify them as follows:

  1. Check Their Profile: Open the chat and click on their name to view more details.
    • Username: Scammers might not have a username or use incorrectly formatted ones.
    • Shared Groups: Genuine staff members will have groups in common with you. Scammers usually don’t.

Red flags in scam messages on Telegram How to identify and avoid Telegram scammers

The Username Trick​

Scammers often exploit similar-looking usernames. For example:

  1. Cryptowally - Authentic
  2. CryptowalIy - Impersonator
  3. CryptowaIly - Impersonator
  4. CryptowaIIy - Impersonator

Though they look identical, subtle differences exist, such as replacing lowercase 'L' with uppercase 'I'. Tools like Convert Case can help distinguish these variations.

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Remember, our team members will never message you first.

Reporting Impersonators​

If you encounter an impersonator, report them to NoToScam, Telegram's anti-scam support bot.

Common Scamming Techniques​

Beware of anyone asking you to:

  • Send ETH or other currencies for license validation.
  • Pay for a license key change.
  • Validate your ETH Wallet with a third-party dApp.

These are all deceptive tactics. Remember, license validations and key changes never require additional payments.

Stay vigilant. If you have any doubts, reach out to us directly.