Overview
The Web6.0Coin website was created by Tara Annison (Author of the Bitcoin ABC Book, creator of The Game Against Cryptocurrency and the world's first Crypto Advent Calendar) and Erica Stanford (Founder of the Crypto Curry Club and author of the best selling Crypto Wars: Faked Deaths, Missing Billions and Industry Disruption) for their Crypto Crime presentation at the 2022 CryptoA.M Conference to raise awareness of the scam typologies operating across the crypto industry.
It was later shared across the industry to help others learn the red flags for scammy crypto projects.
To understand what hidden red flags (and easter eggs) there are across the site, read below!
Hype Language, Buzzwords and FOMO
Scam websites and crypto projects will often use hype-filled language and meaningless buzzwords to try to dazzle and confuse potential victims.
You’ll often notice that the websites don't even really say WHAT the project aims to do. Just lots of big bold claims!
Take a look back over the web6coins website and you'll see plenty of hype driven language but no real substance into what the project is and how it works.
Typos and Poor Attention to Detail
Some scam projects copy and paste the same website again and again with different branding to capitalise on the latest trends but many will spin up a scam due to an industry trigger. This can mean the content on the website is low quality and poorly written. So whilst a poorly written website isn't evidence of a scam in and of itself, it's certainly a red flag.
Did you spot all the intentional spelling mistakes and inconsistencies across the web6coin site?
Fake Teams
Scam crypto projects will often not list team information at all, or if they're feeling very bold they will just add details of a fake team complete with pictures from Google.
We found the images for our team using the search terms "man" and "woman" and the CEO with the search term "generic white man"! You'll also spot a familiar face as the risk officer (who you wouldn't want in control of your compliance processes!) and our graphic designer has had another fictitious role in another crypto scam.
An Impossible Roadmap
Our roadmap was full of ridiculous claims, every buzzword we could fit in and imaginary technology such as "ANR technology" which stands for "Absolutely Not Real" :')
We even had some bold and patently untrue claims "...This is already approved by the SEC, CFTC, OFAC and all major governments around the world."
Scam projects will often promise you the world, on super quick timelines but with no intention or skills to deliver it.
Fake/Unverifiable Details
Scam projects will either not include any contact/registration information or will just 'borrow' someone elses.
We used Facebook's address for our site.
Some websites will have chat bot features which are manned by the scammers, and many projects have Telegram 'support' workers who will all try to pressure you into clicking something malicious/sending crypto and otherwise falling for the scam. They may use pressure selling techniques on you.
Bonuses:
Some additional easter eggs we hid through the website were:
1. the most unattractive list of exchanges to be supported by #2022collapse
2. We weren't joking about the chance to join the mega rich with our referral program. If you did invest $100 at platinum level then you'd quickly have more money then has been created in the history of civilisation lol
3. If you click the 'visit website' link in the footer it will take you to the google search results for "spotting crypto scams"
