# Common Scams to Avoid

## Never Send Funds Based on Private Messages or Promotions

* Scammers impersonate exchanges like Binance, Bybit, and OKX or pose as Vaulta services.
* They lure users with promises of high returns, arbitrage, or deposit "bonuses".
* If someone offers you "free money" for sending tokens, it's a scam.

## Exchange Nicknames Are NOT Vaulta Addresses

* Scammers exploit confusion by asking users to send Vaulta to an account named like their exchange "nickname".
* Vaulta accounts are independent from exchange usernames — sending funds to a similar-looking account will send tokens directly to the scammer.

## Watch for ‘Small Test Refund’ Tricks

* Scammers build trust by returning a small amount (e.g., 5 $A + 3%) to bait you into sending a larger sum.
* This "proof" is a setup. Once you send a bigger amount, they disappear with your funds.

## Avoid Fake Testnets, Airdrops, or Network “Simulations”

* Scammers ask you to send tokens to join “testnets” or fake airdrops.
* They’ll claim your amount wasn’t enough, or a transaction is “stuck,” and ask for more.
* This is a loop designed to extract as much as possible before you realize it’s a scam.

## Scammers Impersonate Official Vaulta Services

* Fake websites like vaulta-network.io are not official.

#### If You’re Asked to Send More to ‘Release’ Funds, Stop Immediately

* This is a classic scam tactic. You cannot unlock stuck funds by sending more tokens.

## If You Get Scammed

* Do not send more.
* Collect the scammer’s account name and transaction ID.
* Report it to law enforcement and any exchange involved.
* If you act fast and funds go to an exchange, they may help freeze the funds (with a police report).