Friend suddenly jumps out and says, “Bro, I’ll help you make money in the crypto world, guaranteed profit with no loss”? Don’t be naive, he’s probably trying to scam your money.

In the crypto world, those who truly make money are never short of naive victims to exploit. He’ll pull you in, show you small profits first to build your confidence (using your money or fake accounts), then encourage you to go all-in on projects/platforms/contracts—essentially Ponzi schemes/pyramid schemes/fake exchanges. Early on, he relies on you to recruit others for high commissions; later, the project rug pulls or the platform runs away, and both of you get wiped out, while he’s already gone.
Between 2025 and 2026, these “acquaintance investment scams” will cause billions of dollars in global losses. An upgraded version of pig butchering: first building trust (with old classmates/friends/group members), then promoting fake platforms/whisper groups, flooding screens with fake profit screenshots, and finally freezing withdrawals with “tax fees” or disappearing outright. Friends? Friends are the best cover, and trust is the biggest vulnerability.