Protect your portfolio by spotting scam tokens early. Crypto markets move fast — and scam tokens move even faster. Honeypots, rugpulls, hidden mint functions, and deceptive smart contracts have caused millions in investor losses every year.
But the good news:
Almost every scam token shows early warning signs.
If you know what to look for, you can avoid 95% of dangerous projects before they steal your money.
Here is the ultimate 20-point checklist to evaluate any token before investing — updated for 2025, based on common scams we see across BSC, Ethereum, Solana, and other chains.
If the contract is not verified on the blockchain explorer (Etherscan/BscScan), you cannot read the source code.
Unverified = 100% red flag.
Brand-new contracts deployed minutes or hours ago often belong to pump-and-dump or honeypot schemes.
No team information, anonymous creators with no past projects, or newly created social accounts = high risk.
If liquidity < $10,000, the token can be manipulated easily by whales and the dev team.
Unlocked liquidity = the team can withdraw all funds instantly → rugpull.
Always check:
If the developer can mint unlimited tokens, the supply can be inflated and your investment becomes worthless.
Scam tokens often use:
Or worse: tax can be dynamically changed later.
Some tokens let you buy but not sell.
Always test small sells OR use a scanner like RushCheck.
Look for dangerous functions such as:
These allow devs to trap buyers and block sells.
If 50–90% supplies were airdropped, the dev team may be sitting on thousands of wallets ready to dump.
Many scam tokens use:
Always verify audit IDs.
If 1–3 wallets hold >40% of supply, the project can be dumped any time.
Signs of fake marketing:
This means hype is artificial.
A scam website often includes:
Check domain age on Whois.
"If the roadmap sounds too good to be true — it probably is."
Examples of scammy roadmaps:
Tokens with no utility except “number go up” almost always die or rugpull.
Scam tokens often claim false partnerships with:
Always verify from the partner’s side.
If the developer has previously deployed multiple rugpull contracts, this is a massive red flag.
You can track this through blockchain explorers.
Tokens that pump 10× in minutes and then freeze are often manipulated by bots or insiders.
Healthy projects have:
Scams have:
Manually checking all 20 signs takes time.
That’s why many investors use automated scanners like RushCheck.
RushCheck analyzes:
→ All within seconds and across multi-chain networks.
Most scam tokens are easy to avoid if you know what to look for.
Use this 20-step checklist before investing in any project — and you’ll never fall for the same traps as thousands of other traders.
For fast results, scan any token instantly with RushCheck and stay safe in your crypto journey.