Where and how to check a bitcoin address is used for scam purposes?

[tranthidung]

Scam is always the most terrible things in human society, and it is more terrible in crypto that is a very volatile financial environment.

Today, I want to give you a third-party site, on which you can check reputation of a bitcoin address to see it has been reported as a scam one or not. The result if shows as scam one is a very good supplementary reason for you to be more cautious if you want to deal anything with that bitcoin address's owner.

The site is: https://bitcoinwhoswho.com/tags

Guide on how to tag is present at that site, link above.

On the right side, you can see lists of most recently reported addresses.

From that site, with reported/ tagged addresses, you can see some information: websites, details

For example, you can visit to see what's presented with that address (the second one in the above image): 1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ
Link to check on that site: https://bitcoinwhoswho.com/address/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ

Scam Alert: This address has been reported as fraudulent (139 times)

You can click on scam report button to submit your report with some information (Name of scam, scam type, website, other details).

Warning for you!
If you check a bitcoin address, with real past transactions but results from https://bitcoinwhoswho.com shows it is a potential good address (good means without tags, scam reports), it does not mean that you will be safe with that address.
Why I say so?
Because of:

• Scammers will change their scam addresses to new ones, definitely.
• My guide is only help you to avoid traps of stupid and lazy scammers or when they only start their scam not too long and not yet change their scam addresses to new ones.
• That site is a third-party one so you should carefully use results provided

You can get list of bitcoin explorers here: List of useful Bitcoin block explorers

There is no phishing/ scam alert on some of those bitcoin explorers. I am not happy with that and I hope that someday those sites will add new features with tag, scam report buttons for benefits of their customers and for bitcoin community in general.

https://www.blockchain.com/btc/address/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ
https://blockchair.com/bitcoin/address/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ
https://btc1.trezor.io/address/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ
https://btc.bitaps.com/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ
https://btc.com/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ (it has a Mention tab that is nearly useless, IMO)
https://chain.so/address/BTC/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ
https://live.blockcypher.com/btc/address/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ/
https://www.smartbit.com.au/address/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ
https://explorer.viabtc.com/btc/address/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ
https://blockchain.coinmarketcap.com/address/bitcoin/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ
https://blockexplorer.com/address/1LfYcbCsssB2niF3VWRBTVZFExzsweyPGQ

More sites:
https://insight.is/
https://github.com/janoside/btc-rpc-explorer

[1714103430]

1714103430

[1714103430]

1714103430

[1714103430]

1714103430

[1714103430]

1714103430

[Avirunes]

I think "Mentions" page in btc.com explorer also comes in handy to check if the address has been previously used in scam or not. For instance: Here is the address that FriendlyChemist (scammer) used a lot: https://btc.com/1P86ApfWg62kwz1Zb1anYxrAN1LkRGwDdR and the "Mentions" page directly links to the accusation thread and the known alts report post.

BTW I am also not happy with explorers not throwing a warning. Even a disqus comment section like etherscan has should be enough.

[tranthidung]

I know (forgot to write some words for that tab), the explorer of https://btc.com/ is the only one among those explorers has one tab that provides information on scam but I know and agree with you that tab is nearly useless. What people need is something instantly pops-up their eyes, like Warning texbox, in red.

[marcotheminer]

I know (forgot to write some words for that tab), the explorer of https://btc.com/ is the only one among those explorers has one tab that provides information on scam but I know and agree with you that tab is nearly useless. What people need is something instantly pops-up their eyes, like Warning texbox, in red.

That is only useful if we have a part of the community actively tagging/verifying scam address which is a monumental/near-impossible task unless somehow automated with inputs judge true/false when given by the community.

[Coyster]

It looks like a nice site to me, and I think it'll be most effective for addresses that have a menacing long record of numerous scams or scam attempt, for example if the address you want to do business with has been reported up to a hundred times, then you'll be crazy if you still want to deal with the owner of that address.

But I'm a bit curious, how does this site verify if truly the addresses tagged are owned by scammers,  how do they filter the correct reports from the incorrect ones, you know this days people could do crazy things, like tagging someone's address as fraudulent when indeed the evidences aren't concrete. I think this could be a downside.

[bitmover]

This a good way to detect the most obvious scams.
However, and address may have used for scams before and that scam may not have been listed in that website database yet.

[tranthidung]

This a good way to detect the most obvious scams.
However, and address may have used for scams before and that scam may not have been listed in that website database yet.

There is nothing perfect in reality, so if it is helpful why not use it?
Scammers don't stop receiving bitcoin from their scams after receiving 1 bitcoin. They will keep receiving bitcoin before the scam detected and no one falls to their scam.
That is what we need to help people keep sending bitcoins to already well-known scam addresses. It is hard to early detect scam projects and scam addresses before they actually successful scam someone.

[Lafu]

Maybe this thread is also helpful and you can add it if you want to your first post !

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5147344.msg51216387#msg51216387

[Avirunes]

Maybe this thread is also helpful and you can add it if you want to your first post !

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5147344.msg51216387#msg51216387

That's a good one  . Wasn't aware of that one. Just like me others also might not be aware. I guess explorer joining hands with them and starting to put down a button or warning supported by them would be a good idea.


EDIT:

Blockchain.info used to allow people to 'tag' transactions, I think that ended when they realized they don't want to spend time on moderating what people typed there.

Oww. I also thought I had seen blockchain at one point having that kind of system. Was having a doubt tho

[malevolent]

I think "Mentions" page in btc.com explorer also comes in handy to check if the address has been previously used in scam or not. For instance: Here is the address that FriendlyChemist (scammer) used a lot: https://btc.com/1P86ApfWg62kwz1Zb1anYxrAN1LkRGwDdR and the "Mentions" page directly links to the accusation thread and the known alts report post.

BTW I am also not happy with explorers not throwing a warning. Even a disqus comment section like etherscan has should be enough.

Blockchain.info used to allow people to 'tag' transactions, I think that ended when they realized they don't want to spend time on moderating what people typed there.