What are the biggest red flags of a crypto scam?

Universal red flags, in order of severity:

1. Guaranteed returns of any percentage.
2. Urgency — limited slots, closing soon, act today.
3. A 'mentor', 'guide', or 'manager' introducing you to the platform.
4. Inability to withdraw without paying a fee first — taxes, insurance, clearance, anything.
5. Off-platform contact — moving from Tinder/Instagram/Twitter to WhatsApp/Telegram.
6. Crypto-only deposits with no fiat option.
7. Customer support that only responds via chat app, no phone, no registered office, no legal entity.
8. No verifiable team or LinkedIn profiles that don't match.
9. Cloned-looking website that's actually a typo-squat (binance.app, coinbase.io.tw, etc.).
10. Promised 'recovery' from a previous loss — by definition a follow-on scam.

If two or more of these are present, walk away — no matter how convincing the rest looks. Safewire (safewire.eu) maintains an updated prevention checklist worth bookmarking.