Protecting Your Digital Assets Pt. 1: Discord Scams

Account security with Matrix World, Part 1 — Discord Scams.

In recent years, with the increased popularity of cryptocurrency and NFTs, we’ve seen scammers find new and creative ways to try and access your digital assets.

As part 1 of a 5 part series, this article will look at tips to protect your digital assets and everyday things scammers are doing inside Discord to try and trick you.

For those who are new, Matrix World, created by Matrix Labs is the first multichain metaverse that allows users to own land on an option of blockchains. This option of blockchains, in conjunction with their plans for a friendly WYSIWYG editor, customizable object life cycles, gameplay, and entertainment, makes Matrix World an exciting choice.

Social engineering (misleading you) inside of discord is the most common way people’s accounts are being compromised. Typically we see scammers prey on people who are less experienced with techniques such as fake website links, appearing as technical support, or sending malicious applications in DM’s for ‘testing.’ Below, we discuss some helpful tips to keep yourself and others safe — if you see something suspicious, say something to others in the community.

Ten tips to protect yourself when using Discord

Most malicious links are sent through Direct Messages. Turn off DM’s to avoid someone having the chance to trick you. To learn how to turn off DMs, click here. Some common DM scams include fake ‘surprise’ mints, scammers impersonating moderators or team members and asking for your information, scammers asking you to screen sharing your Discord setting to help you ‘fix’ a problem, and scammers asking you to ‘reverify’ your NFT ownership. Never share your personal information through DMs and do not connect your wallet to a website if you are not 100% certain that it is safe.
Enable 2 Factor Authentication. 2 Factor Authentication uses multi-factor authentication and, as the name suggests, requires two methods of authorization before you can log in. You can enable 2FA in User Setting > My Account.
Never download any games or applications, even if it is from a friend of yours. Scammers have made applications that search for your Discord authentication token on your computer. This allows them to log in without your password.
Ignore ‘Free Discord Nitro’ links. More often than not they are a scam.
Don’t directly trade NFTs with other users through DMs. This is a very easy way to get scammed. The safest way is to use a trusted DApp or marketplace.
Confirm that the account posting the link or announcement has not changed their nickname to appear as someone else (Image 1). The Discord handle must be an exact match, including the number at the end. Also, be very careful when checking, some scammers will replace a lowercase “L” with an uppercase “i” or vice versa, which looks nearly identical in Discord.
Verify links sent inside Discord from another source i.e. The project website or Twitter. It is best to always use the Official Links for the project.
Check the spelling, and confirm the correct top-level domain (.com, .org, .net, etc.) of any links provided inside the discord. As suggested in tip 4, confirm from another source. Only access secure websites that have ‘s’ in the protocol. (Image 2)
Be wary of any ‘surprise’ or ‘secret’ mints as well as anything that seems sudden and unplanned. Most reputable teams will never have an unannounced surprise mint. If you see something like this in a DM it is almost guaranteed to be a scam. Also, if there is a sudden announcement like this in the project Discord it may mean the project Discord has been hacked. Always take your time and verify that the mint is legitimate before minting anything and only use the official project links. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Slow Down! It’s often in moments of excitement or thinking you’re going to miss out that you miss the little warning signs as mentioned above.

Image 1 — Nicknames can be used to pretend to be someone else.

Image 2 — URL structure

We hope that the tips mentioned above have helped give you more confidence when interacting inside of discord. Please continue to be vigilant, take your time with exciting news, and stay safe inside of Discord!

**To learn more about Matrix World or get in contact, please visit the links below:
**Website
Twitter
Telegram chat
Discord