There are certain unique traits of a cryptocurrency that includes decentralization, full transparency through a public ledger, and an open source code that anyone can see. Scams and Ponzi schemes do not possess these common characteristics and are usually centralized and opaque.

The best way to avoid falling into this various scams and shady schemes is to identify common characteristics as listed above. More importantly, Arming yourself with the right knowledge would safeguard you against these Scams.

As a general rule, entering for the last few weeks is always better, because you have the most information about funds raised by the ICO and you can easily predict the number of participants and total number of stakes.