If it sounds too good to be true, it is

Many are aware of scams; some are more complex than others but some are very simple. I recently started using Cointiply (full disclosure - it's my referral link) to pick up some extra sats, and to see what all the fuss was about. It's a good time waster, but the payouts are extremely small and I haven't gotten lucky in qualifying on any of the surveys.

But I digress. There are a lot of sketchy websites on the PTC (paid-to-click) ads. Here's one that I came across:

See for yourself; you just take a look at the so-called "chatroom," it's obvious that these are not genuine comments by real people. Just notice the same "Took me 5 minutes" comment three times. If you stay on the page, the same comments repeat over and over. I'm not going to post a link to this page I was directed to by the PTC ad, but just wanted to make this quick post for anyone searching for free crypto, just be careful. There are a lot of scams out there, and we should all be very skeptical.

Here are some simple points to keep in mind:

• Never give out your private keys to anyone, under any circumstances
• Watch for phishing scams sent out in e-mails and always verify URL destinations
• Keep your holdings private, both in online communities and in offline discussions
• Be weary of promises of lofty returns

You can report suspicious activity or crytpo fraud to Internet Crime Complaint Center, the SEC, or the FTC.