As a user-first blockchain, our community is our lifeblood. Not only do we aim to provide a scalable network with the highest security, but we also aim to create a safe environment for all our community members.
Recently, it has come to our attention that there have been several fake accounts and actors with potentially malicious intent. The Venom team urges everyone to practice caution and be vigilant so that your personal assets and information are safeguarded at all times.
Here are several practical tips to ensure your safety as a Venom community member.
Tip 1: Beware of Fake Social Media Accounts
Example of a fake account on Instagram
The crypto space is rife with increasingly sophisticated scams and fake accounts are on the rise. As a rule of thumb, we only have social media accounts on Twitter, Discord, and Telegram. We do not have any accounts on Instagram, so that is an immediate red flag. Here are some things to watch out for when spotting fake accounts on Twitter:
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Look out for the Twitter Checkmark: Most, if not all, of our Twitter accounts, are verified with a blue or gold checkmark as an indication of an official account that meets Twitter’s eligibility requirements
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Check the bio description: Real accounts have detailed and informative bios. Scam accounts tend to have thin content or be overly promotional
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Observe engagement and activity: Fake accounts typically have low or inconsistent engagement levels, ie low follower count, tweets, retweets, and likes. Check the account’s tweet history to see if posts are repetitive, irrelevant, or spammy.
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Check grammar, language, and spelling: Fake accounts tend to have robotic language, with poor grammar and/or spelling. Also, take note of whether the account name is spelled correctly.
Tip 2: Be cautious of fake links
Example of a fake Venom website on a link checker
Fake links are used as a method by attackers in phishing scams to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, financial information, or personal data. Here are some tips to avoid falling prey to fake links:
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Hover over the link: Hover your cursor over the link to display the full URL destination. Make sure the displayed link matches the expected domain or website.
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Examine the URL: Take a close look at the URL to ensure that it is spelled correctly, without unusual characters, errors, or extra subdomains.
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Use online link checkers: There are many free online link checkers and browser extensions that can help you verify the authenticity of a website. Simply enter the URL in question to determine if it is secure or malicious.
For the full list of official links, head to the ‘Official Links’ section on the Venom Foundation Discord server. Above all, avoid clicking on links that are not found in this list.
Tip 3: Beware of impersonators and scams
Example of an airdrop scam
In general, Venom team members will never contact you directly via direct message on any of our platforms. On Discord, all queries will be handled through the support ticketing system. As for emails, always check the sender’s email address to check if it is legitimate. Should you receive such messages, do not click on any links in the content. Finally, any giveaways or activations are only held on our official platforms, meaning that anything else on external platforms is most likely a scam.
Above all, never share any personal information, wallet addresses, etc with anyone. Should you see any suspicious activities online, do flag them to our community administrators and report the account to the respective social media platform(s). By doing so, we can all do our part to keep the Venom community safe and secure.
To find out more about Venom, check out the links below:
Website: https://venom.foundation/
Whitepaper: https://venom.foundation/Venom_Whitepaper.pdf
Documentation: https://docs.venom.foundation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/venomfoundation