Safeguard human verification
Be VERY careful with the Safeguard bot on Telegram. Many users are reporting having crypto stolen from their Telegram trading bots. Fake Safeguard bots are being used to target traders and steal their crypto. There have been many reports of this over the past few weeks. I have personally witnessed a fake Safeguard bot myself after clicking a Telegram link for a newly launched coin on DEXScreener. Scammers are creating bait coins to lure you in to their fake Telegram channels.
What Is the Safeguard Bot?
The Safeguard bot is a tool commonly set up by devs in their Telegram channels. It helps remove spam messages, links, and media. It maintains a database of scams and threats. This database updates regularly to catch new threats.
Primarily, Safeguard bots act as a verification system. New members must complete the verification process to prove they’re not bots themselves. Nearly every channel uses this setup, and users must click links to interact with the bot for verification.
Safeguard Scam Drained Victim’s Crypto Wallet
One Telegram user shared their experience on Reddit about falling victim to a fake Safeguard bot. The scammer tricked them into entering a verification code, allowing the hacker to hijack their account and steal all the funds in their Telegram bot wallet.
Here’s the victim’s account in their own words:
“I got drained today. All that I’ve worked for trading meme coins is gone in a minute. Heartbreaking day. Long story short, I like to use Trojan bot in Telegram since it’s easy and quick to use. I bought into a coin today that had socials linked but no banner. I thought I’d help by getting a banner up on DexScreener. I went to the coin page and clicked on the Telegram link. Not thinking anything of it, I clicked the verification button when joining the coin’s Telegram. I was sent a code via text message, which I entered into the fake Safeguard bot. I assumed they added an extra layer of security. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary since I’ve done similar processes before. After clicking verify, the hacker gained full control of my Telegram. They started searching through all my bot wallets. I realized what was happening and tried to fight back by clicking the ‘back’ button repeatedly, but I wasn’t fast enough. I made this post to warn everyone about this phishing scam. DON’T CLICK LINKS on your DexScreener. I didn’t think it would happen to me, but it did. Be careful out there.”
Here is the original thread on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/solana/comments/1hbj6hl/i_got_drained_today_all_that_ive_worked_for/?rdt=45274
*Keep your previous Safeguard bot thread in your chat history. This will help you verify if the bot asking for interaction is legitimate or fake.
It is Risky to Trade with Telegram Bots
Some people prefer Telegram bots for trading, especially on the Solana chain. Traders started doing this earlier this year because of the constant failed transactions with Raydium. However, trading with Telegram bots is risky due to all of the Telegram scams that exist. It’s best to stay away from them unless you’re using small amounts of money you’re willing to lose. Another way to mitigate the risks is to have a separate Telegram account with different login credentials that you ONLY use for trading.
Other Safeguard Scams
- Fake Safeguard Bots Sending Private Messages: Scammers DM users, claiming they need to verify their identity or wallet. They send phishing links or ask for seed phrases.
- Fake Safeguard Bots in Public Channels: Scammers create Telegram accounts named Safeguard and make them look official. They post phishing links in public chats, luring unsuspecting users into interacting with wallet-draining scripts.
How to Stay Safe
The safest way to trade cryptocurrency is to use a separate device for trading. If you accidentally click a phishing link on a different device, scammers won’t be able to access your primary wallet. This method won’t protect you though if you share your seed phrase or private keys, so never share that with anyone, no matter the reason. If you had a second Telegram account on a separate device then you definitely wouldn’t have to worry about a fake Safeguard Telegram bot stealing your crypto.
It is believed that scammers are now creating fake coins to bait users into clicking malicious Safeguard links. If something feels off, trust your instincts. Just close the link, and definitely don’t connect your wallet to anything.
