Crypto glossary
Fake airdrop scam
A fake airdrop scam sends unsolicited tokens or NFTs, or advertises a bogus claim, to lure users to a malicious site that drains their wallet.
Scammers drop worthless tokens or NFTs into thousands of wallets, often with a name or image containing a website address and a message about rewards waiting to be claimed. Others promote a fake claim page for a real project's expected airdrop through sponsored search results, hijacked social accounts or replies under official posts.
The claim site asks the visitor to connect a wallet and sign one or more requests. Those are actually token approvals, permit signatures or transfers that hand the attacker control of valuable assets, which a drainer kit then sweeps within seconds. Because real airdrops do exist and can be valuable, the lure works even on experienced users, especially around high-profile token launches.
An unknown token appearing in a wallet is not dangerous by itself; the risk lies in interacting with it or visiting the site it advertises. Hiding the asset and ignoring it is enough. Real airdrops are announced on the project's official channels, and checking the exact domain before connecting a wallet prevents most losses.
Example
A wallet receives an NFT titled with a URL promising 5,000 dollars in rewards; the owner visits the site, signs a request to claim and loses the USDC held in that wallet.