Fake Crypto Exchange: How to Spot Scams and Avoid Crypto Fraud

When you hear fake crypto exchange, a fraudulent platform pretending to be a legitimate place to trade digital assets. Also known as deceptive crypto platforms, it often looks just like the real thing—until your funds vanish. These aren’t just sketchy websites. They’re carefully built traps, sometimes copying real exchange logos, using fake customer support, and even running fake airdrops to lure you in.

Most fake DEX, a counterfeit decentralized exchange that mimics real ones like Uniswap or PancakeSwap claim to offer zero fees or insane returns. But they don’t run on blockchain—they run on lies. You send your crypto to their wallet, and it’s gone. No recovery. No recourse. Meanwhile, crypto scam, any scheme designed to trick people into giving up their digital assets often hides behind fake team members, forged audits, and fake social media accounts. Some even use names like "LocalCoin DEX" or "Cryptal Exchange" to sound official, even though they have nothing to do with the real platforms.

Real exchanges like OraiDEX or Astroport on Injective have public teams, verifiable code, and real liquidity. Fake ones? No whitepaper. No GitHub. No support tickets that get answered. If a platform asks you to connect your wallet without explaining why, or pushes you to hurry because "the offer is expiring," it’s a scam. The SEC and other regulators have cracked down on unregistered exchanges, but scammers just change names and reappear. You won’t find a crypto exchange fraud, the act of operating a fraudulent trading platform to steal user funds on a licensed exchange in Singapore or Georgia—but you’ll find dozens on Google Ads and Telegram groups.

Below, you’ll find real breakdowns of platforms that look legit but aren’t. You’ll see how one fake exchange stole $40 million by copying a real one’s UI. You’ll learn why airdrops like "Kalata" or "CELT" were never real—and how fraudsters used them to harvest wallets. You’ll get the exact signs to check before you click "Connect Wallet." No fluff. Just what you need to keep your crypto safe.