Is that free airdrop safe to claim? How do airdrop and claim scams drain wallets?
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Short answer: Usually not. Tokens or NFTs that appear in your wallet unexpectedly and point you to a site to "claim," swap or verify them are a common lure. Receiving them is harmless, but the claim site asks you to sign an approval or enter your recovery phrase, and that drains the wallet. Ignore and hide them. (MetaMask; Ledger)
Key facts
- MetaMask: "no one can get access to your funds or any sensitive information simply by depositing tokens into your wallet." The danger starts when you try to sell, swap or claim. (MetaMask)
- MetaMask itself "will not give you assets," including airdrops and random giveaways. (MetaMask)
- Revoke.cash says disguised transfers often carry names like "Claim" or "Claim Rewards." (Revoke.cash)
- In January 2024, a drainer posing as the U.S. SEC used the agency's compromised X account to push a fake token airdrop, Chainalysis reported. (Chainalysis, Feb 13, 2025)
How does an airdrop scam work?
- Tokens or an NFT appear in your wallet, sometimes "millions" of a token you've never heard of, or an NFT that looks more like an ad than art. (MetaMask)
- You try to sell or swap it, and the swap fails. A message on the block explorer or in the token's name tells you to visit a website to claim it. (MetaMask; MetaMask)
- The site asks you to "approve," "claim" or "verify." You sign what looks like a claim, but it gives the site permission to take your tokens, or it asks for your recovery phrase. (MetaMask)
- The wallet is drained. Trezor says these approvals can give a contract permission to drain assets from the entire wallet on that network. (Trezor)
Some claim scams don't use tokens at all. They spread fake "snapshot" or "airdrop" announcements on social media. MetaMask warned in March 2023 that rumors of a MetaMask airdrop were "not only false, but they are dangerous." (MetaMask)
What should I do with tokens I didn't expect?
"If you receive an unsolicited airdropped token, ignore and hide it immediately without any interaction; these tokens are “bait” traps designed to lure you to phishing websites where “claiming” or swapping them triggers a malicious smart contract that drains your wallet."
- Don't swap, sell, send or "clean up" the token. Trezor's advice for unexpected dust is to do nothing. (Trezor)
- Hide it, or mark the NFT as suspicious in your wallet. (MetaMask)
- Check it without connecting your wallet. Look the token up on the block explorer: known scam tokens are often flagged there. Compare its contract address against the real token's. With MetaMask token detection on, a token that doesn't appear isn't on the curated lists. (MetaMask)
- Get real airdrop news only from the project's official site, typed in yourself, never from a link in a token name, NFT or DM. [Our recommendation, consistent with Trezor's advice to bookmark official sites.] (Trezor)
What if I already connected or signed on a claim site?
- If you signed an approval or permit: revoke it right away with a trusted tool. See how to revoke token approvals. (Revoke.cash)
- If you typed your recovery phrase: the wallet is compromised. Move funds to a new wallet with a new phrase. See seed phrase phishing. (MetaMask)
- If you lost money, report it at ic3.gov with the transaction details. (FBI IC3)
Frequently asked questions
Can a scam token steal my crypto just by being in my wallet?
No. MetaMask says no one can access your funds just by depositing tokens into your wallet. The risk comes from interacting with the token or visiting the site it points to.
Are all airdrops scams?
No. MetaMask says real projects do use airdrops to get tokens to users. But a real airdrop never needs your recovery phrase, and an unexpected token that sends you to a claim site should be treated as bait.
Why can't I sell the free tokens in my wallet?
MetaMask describes scam tokens built so the swap fails and an error message sends you to a fraudulent website. That website is where the phishing happens.
Is MetaMask doing an airdrop?
MetaMask says it will not give you assets, including tokens, NFTs, airdrops or random giveaways. Treat any "MetaMask airdrop" message as a scam.
No affiliate links on this page, by policy. We never promote airdrops or token giveaways.
Sources
- MetaMask Help Center, "How to tell the difference between a regular airdrop and airdrop phishing scams" (undated). support.metamask.io (accessed 2026-10-24)
- MetaMask Help Center, "How to avoid scammers, rug pulls, and airdrop scams" (undated). support.metamask.io (accessed 2026-10-24)
- MetaMask Help Center, "How to verify the real MetaMask wallet" (undated). support.metamask.io (accessed 2026-10-24)
- MetaMask, "Crypto Security Report: March 2023" (quoting MetaMask on X, 2023-03-28). metamask.io (accessed 2026-10-24)
- Ledger, "Ongoing phishing campaigns" (living page). ledger.com (accessed 2026-10-24)
- Trezor, "Common scams and phishing affecting Trezor users" (undated). trezor.io (accessed 2026-10-24)
- Revoke.cash, "You've Been Scammed, Now What?" (undated). revoke.cash (accessed 2026-10-24)
- Chainalysis, "2024 Pig Butchering Crypto Scam Revenue Grows 40% YoY as Industry Increases Sophistication," 2025-02-13. chainalysis.com (accessed 2026-10-24)
- FBI IC3, "FBI Guidance for Cryptocurrency Scam Victims" (I-082423-PSA), 2023-08-24. ic3.gov (accessed 2026-10-24)
Changelog
- 2026-10-24: First published.