What Is an Airdrop, and How Do I Spot a Fake One?
What Is an Airdrop?â
An airdrop is when a crypto project gives out tokens for free, usually to reward early users or to spread a new token. A real airdrop either lands in your wallet automatically, or asks eligible users to claim it on the project's official website.
Scammers copy this idea. They send worthless tokens to thousands of wallets, or advertise a "free claim," to get you to visit a fake website and sign something that gives them your funds.
Two Kinds of Fake Airdropâ
| Type | What happens | The trap |
|---|---|---|
| Unexpected tokens in your wallet | A token you never bought appears in your wallet, often with a website or a big dollar value in its name. | Trying to sell, swap, or "claim" it sends you to a site that asks you to sign an approval or permit, which lets the scammer take your other tokens. |
| Claim links | A post, DM, email, or ad says you're eligible for an airdrop and links to a claim page. | The page asks you to connect your wallet and sign, or to enter your Secret Phrase to "verify" your wallet. |
Receiving a token can't hurt you on its own. The danger starts when you interact with it: visiting the website in its name, signing a request, or approving a contract.
Signs an Airdrop Is Fakeâ
- You never heard of it, and it arrived without you doing anything.
- The token name contains a website or instructions, like "Visit claim-rewards.io to redeem."
- It shows a large value you can't actually sell. Scam tokens fake a price or have no buyers.
- The claim site asks for your Secret Phrase or private key. Real airdrops never do.
- Claiming needs an approval or permit for a token you already hold, like USDT or ETH. Claiming a reward shouldn't need permission to spend your other tokens.
- There's pressure to act fast, such as "Claim within 24 hours."
- The link came from a DM, a reply, or an ad, not from the project's official website or account.
How Gem Wallet Helpsâ
- Verification labels. Tokens that aren't verified are marked Unverified or Suspicious. See Unverified and Suspicious Tokens in Gem Wallet.
- Spam stays out of your total. Tokens marked as spam or fraudulent aren't counted in your wallet's value. See Why Is a Token's Value Missing or Not in My Total?.
- A cleaner Activity tab. Transfers of tokens Gem Wallet doesn't recognize are left out of Activity. See How to Read and Filter Activity in Gem Wallet.
- Warnings before you sign. When a dApp asks you to sign, Gem Wallet shows what you're approving and warns about risky requests. See How to Review a Transaction Simulation and Token Approval vs Permit Signature.
- Domain checks. Gem Wallet flags known malicious websites when you connect with WalletConnect. See WalletConnect Domain Verification in Gem Wallet.
What to Do With an Unexpected Tokenâ
- Leave it alone. Don't visit websites in its name, and don't try to swap, sell, or send it.
- Hide it. Turn it off in Manage Tokens so it doesn't distract you. See How to Hide, Show, and Pin Tokens in Gem Wallet.
- Report it if it's an NFT. See How to Report a Suspicious NFT in Gem Wallet.
Hiding a token only removes it from your list. It stays at your address on the blockchain, and that's harmless as long as you don't interact with it.
How to Check a Real Airdropâ
- Find the airdrop on the project's official website or verified social account, not through a link someone sent you.
- Check that the claim site's address matches the official one exactly. See How to Verify Official Gem Wallet Links for the kind of checks to do.
- Read every signature request in Gem Wallet before you confirm. A claim should send tokens to you, not approve spending of tokens you already hold.
What If I Already Signed Something?â
If you approved a token or signed a permit on a fake claim site, act quickly:
- Revoke the approval. See How to Revoke a Suspicious Token Approval.
- Follow What to Do After Connecting to a Malicious dApp.
- If you entered your Secret Phrase anywhere, treat the wallet as compromised and follow What to Do If Your Secret Phrase Is Exposed.
Gem Wallet will never ask for your Secret Phrase or private key, and neither will any real airdrop.