Fake testnets and airdrop scams: how to spot fake rewards and protect your wallet

A testnet is an environment where developers check how a blockchain works before launching the main network. Users also take part in this process. They try out a project’s features, help find bugs, and often receive small rewards. Such programs have long become a familiar part of the crypto world. They make it possible to improve the network and test smart contracts without risking real funds. Many participate for future perks, since a testnet airdrop often becomes the first step to receiving tokens.

Main points of this material

• why interest in testnets has become a convenient tool for scammers;
• how schemes work that steal tokens under the guise of rewards;
• which simple steps help avoid fraud and keep your wallet safe.

In 2024–2025, the number of attacks related to cryptocurrency testnets has increased noticeably. According to CertiK and Cointelegraph, scammers create copies of popular projects and publish fake reward announcements. Users follow links, connect wallets, and lose assets. It’s becoming harder to distinguish a real test from a fake, but it’s possible if you know what to look for.

The scenario usually looks the same. A post appears on X, Discord, or Telegram: “New testnet, get tokens for participating!” The post looks plausible: a familiar logo, a link to an “official website,” and comments from “participants” who supposedly already received a reward.

Following the link leads to a site that imitates the project’s interface. It can be a fake testnet masquerading as LayerZero, zkSync, Starknet, Arbitrum, or Base. The page shows a Claim button, a participant counter, and even a Docs section.

Next, the site suggests connecting a wallet and signing a transaction to confirm participation. In practice this is often a hidden approve of a contract or a permit transaction. Such signatures give a third-party contract the right to manage your tokens. After signing, the funds can be withdrawn at any time, even if you didn’t do anything further.

Sometimes scammers go further and create a scam token with the same logo. Your wallet shows a “credit,” and it looks like you received a reward. But when you try to swap or transfer these coins, the balance disappears and real assets are debited.

A fake testnet plays on trust and the fear of missing out. People rush not to miss “free tokens,” and that’s exactly what makes such phishing schemes dangerously effective.

Fake campaigns under the Arbitrum, Blast, zkSync, and LayerZero brands are still encountered more often than others. According to the CertiK Scam Report, experts have recorded dozens of attacks in recent months. Users connected wallets to fake sites and lost tokens. The schemes repeat but look convincing.

The most common scenarios

• A fake airdrop starts with an invitation to “claim a reward” for participating in a testnet; the user is asked to make a deposit or sign a transaction, after which the funds go to scammers and access to assets is lost.
• Fake Telegram bots pose as official project partners and ask to transfer 10–20 USDT to confirm participation; after payment the bot disappears and support no longer responds.
• A scam token is created by attackers with the same name and logo; your wallet receives a “credit,” but when you try to swap it, a malicious contract debits real funds.

Analysts from the SlowMist Report draw attention to small details that give away a fake. These include domains like layerzero-testnet.xyz or blastairdrops.io, misspellings in names, non-working links to “Docs” and “GitHub,” blurry logos, and short, incomplete instructions. The presence of HTTPS does not itself confirm legitimacy — anyone can obtain a free certificate. Cross-check the domain with official Docs/GitHub, look at the registration date and valid links.

The more popular the project and the louder the testnet announcement, the more copies and fake pages appear around it. Any offer to “get tokens right now” should be checked twice or even three times. Connecting a wallet to an unfamiliar site without verification is always a risk.

It’s quite possible to determine where the real testnet is and where the trap is. You just need to know what and where to check. Announcements of real campaigns are published on the project’s official pages: GitHub, the Docs section, the main website, and sometimes a Medium blog. These sources usually have instructions, links to test networks, and exact smart contract addresses.

Before connecting your wallet to a site, open the project’s documentation and compare the domains. The link in the announcement must match the address specified in the Docs. A verified account on X is not proof. Focus on matching the domain with the official website, not on the badge next to the name.

Check the contract address. This helps you understand how reliable the project is and who controls it. You can do this on Etherscan, Tronscan, or BscScan. There you can see whether the code is verified and which functions are available to users.

Pay attention to key points

• the presence of a “Contract verified” mark does not guarantee safety; it only confirms open-source code;
• check who the contract owner is and whether they can change its logic;
• see whether minting new tokens is allowed;
• make sure there are limits or locks for suspicious operations.

For a quick assessment, the goplus scanner is useful. This service analyzes a smart contract and shows possible risks. The report displays hidden functions, admin rights, and suspicious permissions. The check takes minutes and often saves money and nerves.

Remember the main rule. Real test campaigns do not ask for a deposit and do not require connecting your main wallet. Work on networks like Sepolia, BSC Testnet, Nile, and Shasta. Create a separate address for experiments. Careful link checking and a basic contract review protect against most fakes.

Security on the blockchain depends not only on technology; it starts with attentiveness and common sense. Even experienced users lose funds when they act automatically. To preserve assets and build baseline security for a crypto wallet, it’s worth following a few simple rules.

Helpful steps

• Do not sign approve or permit if you’re not sure, since such operations give a contract access to your tokens.
• Check active permissions on revoke.cash, DeBank, or in Tronscan → Wallet → Approvals, and immediately revoke access for suspicious contracts.
• Separate wallets: use one for tests and airdrops, and another for storing assets — this simple rule helps avoid losses.
• Check domains manually and don’t follow links from chats or ads; it’s more reliable to open a site via the project’s official pages, such as Docs or GitHub.
• Install protective extensions such as Wallet Guard, ScamSniffer, or MetaMask’s built-in anti-phishing; they warn about suspicious sites even before the wallet is connected.

These habits help avoid most phishing cases in crypto. Constant attentiveness, permission checks, and address separation create a real line of defense for your tokens.

If you accidentally confirmed a transaction on an unfamiliar site, don’t panic — act quickly and calmly. Immediately limit the attacker’s access to your wallet and try to minimize possible losses.

What to do first

• Revoke all permissions via revoke.cash, DeBank, or Tronscan → Wallet → Approvals; delete active accesses, especially if they’re tied to unknown contracts.
• Transfer funds to a new wallet; even if everything looks normal, it’s safer to play it safe and send tokens to another address.
• Check approvals and permits; make sure no contract still has access to your tokens.
• Report the phishing site via PhishFort, ScamSniffer, or X Safety; collective complaints help block dangerous resources faster.
• Do not use “recovery” services; such sites often ask for a seed phrase or private key and ultimately steal your funds.

Such situations happen even to experienced users. Fraud in crypto is becoming more and more inventive, but attentiveness and simple security measures prevent most risks. If you remember how not to fall for phishing, check every action, and don’t trust “rescue bots,” your chances of regaining control and avoiding new losses remain high.

Scam testnets are one of the most insidious fraud methods today. Scammers exploit the community’s trust and the desire to receive rewards to trick people into giving access to wallets. They copy the interfaces of popular platforms, create exact clones of sites, and encourage people to connect wallets to fake pages. Losses from such attacks already number in the thousands of cases, and many have faced token theft and address blocking.

Protecting yourself from such schemes is quite realistic. It’s enough to follow simple digital security rules. Check links, don’t connect your main wallet to test sites, carefully read which permissions are granted to smart contracts, and regularly revoke them via revoke.cash. Phishing in crypto continues to evolve, but attentiveness and common sense remain the most reliable protection. If you understand how a cryptocurrency testnet works and where official campaigns are held, it becomes much easier to distinguish real giveaways from fakes.