While the crypto ecosystem is expanding rapidly, scams are also evolving just as fast as the pace of real innovation. Some of the most prevalent tools used by attackers today include fake airdrop forms and malicious Telegram bots-the two methods that tend to use user trust, curiosity, and the offer of "free" tokens. These are designed to trick not just inexperienced users but seasoned crypto holders into divulging sensitive information.
Within the very first minutes of their interaction with such fake tools, users give out data that might compromise wallet details, account credentials, or identities. Many of them function subtly in the background in crypto communities and often masquerade as official campaigns for trusted brands, exchanges, or blockchain projects.
In this article, we will discuss how scammers manage to collect sensitive data with fake airdrop forms and Telegram bots, why these techniques work so well, what the red flags are to watch for, and how users can protect themselves.
How fake airdrop forms help scammers harvest user information
Of all phishing techniques used in crypto, fake airdrop campaigns are the most prevalent because they are based on a simple fact:
People love free tokens.
These forms are designed to appear exactly like the official project forms, complete with copied logos, branding, and even language from actual campaigns.
Below is a deeper exploration of how these forms extract user information.
They Collect Personal Identity Information
Most fake airdrop forms request information that is far beyond what any real airdrop requires.
Scammers usually request:
Full name
Email address
Country and city
Date of birth
Phone number
Social media profiles
Why this matters
With this information, scammers can:
run identity theft
Specific phishing attack
impersonate the user
build detailed psychological profiles
sell data on dark web markets
Even if a user never shares wallet information, personal identity data alone can be weaponized heavily.
They ask for Wallet Addresses and Blockchain Activity
Most legitimate airdrops ask for a public wallet address.
Scammers use this to push deeper:
They may request:
Multiple wallet addresses
Blockchain networks used
platforms, where your funds are stored.
whether you use hardware wallets
your trading habits
Why scammers want this
This data allows an attacker to:
Map your on-chain behavior
Identify valuable wallets
target you later with specific scams
Attempt triangulated phishing attempts across networks
This is how scammers determine whom to attack most aggressively.
They trick users into inputting seed phrases
This is the deadliest part of the scam.
Some phishing forms create crafty text, such as:
“Submit your seed phrase to verify wallet ownership.”
“We need your recovery phrase for whitelisting.”
“Enter your private key to connect your wallet manually.”
Why users fall for it
Victims believe it is part of the process of distributing the tokens because the form appears official.
The moment scammers get a seed phrase, all funds are immediately drained.
They Contain Wallet-Draining Scripts
Certain forms have malicious code embedded that interacts with browser wallets.
Examples include:
Autoconnect wallet prompts
Fake "Sign Transaction" pop-ups
Permissions allowing unlimited token expenditure
The users think they are signing an innocuous verification message but are actually allowing malicious smart contract functions to run in the background.
They redirect users to fake customer support chats
After filling out the "airdrop form," some scams take users to:
Telegram
Discord
WhatsApp
Here, an artificial “representative” guides the user.
This is where deepfake crypto support calls share the same psychology; scammers create credible support channels and then pressure users to take irreversible actions without a second thought.
They may demand:
KYC documents
Wallet screenshots
QR codes
OTPs
Remote device access
This multi-step process reaps exponentially more data.
How Malicious Telegram Bots Help Scammers Harvest User Information
Telegram has become the epicenter of crypto communication, making the platform perfect for scammers. That's because, due to the automation provided by bots, attackers are able to massively scale their operations.
Here is how these bots extract information:
Bots collect wallet addresses and behavioral data
The bot starts off innocently enough:
“Enter your wallet address to check eligibility.”
“Paste your ENS name.”
“Choose your blockchain.”
Every answer gives scammers:
your preferred blockchain network
your asset type
Whether you are a beginner or expert
how fast you respond
Your risk tolerance
By doing so, it identifies those particular valuable users who will be targeted again.
Bots trick users into clicking on malicious links
The most common things sent through Telegram bots are
Wallet-connecting URLs
fraudulent claim links
Malware phishing websites
Once clicked, these sites capture:
IP addresses
Device information
Browser fingerprinting
location approximation
Session hijacking cookies
This information plays a vital role in focused hacking attempts.
Bots request sensitive personal information
Advanced bots ask:
email
phone number
Social media accounts
Exchange accounts used
Whether you use Binance, Coinbase, OKX, or Metamask
screenshots for “verification”
This information is particularly important for:
SIM-swap attacks
Social engineering
multi-step identity compromise
Bots Induce Users into Sharing Private Keys
Scammers mask the request:
“Enter your backup phrase to sync your wallet.”
“Paste your private key for manual verification.”
“Your transaction failed—bot needs a recovery phrase.”
Telegram bots create an impression of automation, in which the victim feels that the bot is a secure system.
Bots can extract metadata from uploaded files
Some bots ask for:
QR codes
Screenshots
KYC documents
Even simple screenshots can show:
Wallet extensions
accounts-balances
usernames
Email IDs
KYC documents fetch a high price in dark web identity marketplaces.