Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam: how to spot it and what to do
Twitter Crypto Giveaway is a fraudulent message you may encounter on twitter-elon.net or similar scam websites online. In most cases, users end up on a fake page when they click a link on Twitter or other social media platforms, although less known websites could also host the link to it.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam: summary
| Name | Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam |
|---|---|
| Type | Online scam, fraud, phishing |
| Related URL | twitter-elon.net |
| Operation | Claims that Elon Musk is conducting Bitcoin and Etherium giveaway, tricking users into sending the cryptocurrency to cybercriminals |
| Crypto wallets used | 14nDGZLhBnfNBwJ9pckccDfdK9Ltopgc38 (Bitcoin) 0x8b0725961c3986E4605610137C56A6648e93185E (Ethereum) |
| Dangers | Monetary losses, personal data compromise, malware infections |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 8 more facts
| Symptoms | A phishing e-mail asking you to sign in |
|---|---|
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Arrives as | |
| Pretends to be | A well-known company |
| Claim | Your account needs urgent attention |
| Asks for | Your password |
| First seen | 7 June 2022 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
How to tell the Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam message is fake
From our report of Jun 2022 · not reviewed since
- To fix malware damage and clean your browsers thoroughly, employ repair and maintenance utility
Is Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam dangerous? What the senders want
From our report of Jun 2022 · not reviewed since
Twitter Crypto Giveaway is a scam that might result in heavy monetary losses
Twitter Crypto Giveaway is a fraudulent message you may encounter on twitter-elon.net or similar scam websites online.
In most cases, users end up on a fake page when they click a link on Twitter or other social media platforms, although less known websites could also host the link to it.
The premise of the scam is to convince users that they can make double the invested Etherium or Bitcoin and participate in a giveaway, allegedly organized by Elon Musk and Twitter. None of these entities have anything to do with the Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam, and the website exists only for scamming purposes.
By transferring the BTC or ETH to the promoted wallets 14nDGZLhBnfNBwJ9pckccDfdK9Ltopgc38 or 0x8b0725961c3986E4605610137C56A6648e93185E, you would be handing money directly to cybercriminals without the possibility of retrieving the invested sum. We also recommend not clicking any links or downloading files from the fake site, as it could result in personal data compromise or malware infection.
From our report of Jun 2022 · not reviewed since
The scam scheme explained
Crypto, blockchain, and NFTs and everything about them has become the latest trend in the digital sphere.
Users attempt to cash in as they don't want to miss out on an opportunity of obtaining money seemingly while doing nothing. When Bitcoin first arrived, people could have bought it for mere cents, and nowadays, one of the coins is worth thousands of dollars.
Fear of missing out (otherwise known as FOMO) is a well-known psychological phenomenon, and scammers are ready to exploit it. This is why we have seen so many NFT scams around, where users invested thousands of dollars just to see the token fall down in value almost immediately.
Scammers, on the other hand, get away with these schemes due to a significant lack of moderation from the authorities and other regulatory bodies.
To make users believe they can make money easily, scammers use several social engineering tricks. In the case of the Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam, they use two prominent names that many might associate with something legitimate and influential - Twitter and Elon Musk, who has recently announced about acquiring the social media platform for billions.
Scammers claim that Musk is giving away 5,000 BTC and 50,000 ETH for grabs, and the only way to participate in the giveaway is by investing some money first. For example, those who invest 0.1 BTC would receive 0.2 BTC in return, or those who send 200 BTC, would receive 400 BTC later.
This is obviously not true, and the money would be lost upon transfer, as crypto is highly anonymous, which makes it an attractive currency for cybercriminals. In fact, ransomware developers always ask for crypto (Bitcoin, most commonly) to remain anonymous - they cash out using several rogue transactions later.
What to do about Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam
Stop paying fees to withdraw funds: no further payment releases the money.
Then secure what is left and report it.
Step 1: Stop replying and keep the evidence
Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam works only while you keep answering. Stop the conversation, block the sender, and save the evidence first:
- screenshots of the messages
- the addresses used and any account
- wallet numbers
Do not follow up with a "recovery service" that contacts you later, since those are usually the same people. On Windows 11 and Windows 10, Windows + Shift + S takes the screenshots.
Full procedure with screenshots: What to do after paying a scammer
Step 2: Report it
Report the scam where it reaches the people who can act: in the US to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to ic3.gov if you lost money, in the UK to Action Fraud, and in the EU to the national police or consumer authority.
Include the sender, the addresses, the amounts and screenshots. Mark the message as phishing or spam in your mail or messaging app as well, which trains the filter for everyone.
The mail apps on Windows 11 and Windows 10 have the same report buttons as their web versions.
Full procedure with screenshots: Report a cyber attack or scam to the authorities
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices.
Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings.
Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact - you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use for the data restoration process.
From our report of Jun 2022 · not reviewed since
What to do next?
As evident, you should not interact with any components of the scam.
By transferring money, not only do you lose your own money but also confirm to scammers that their schemes actually work. The best way to go about this is not to interact with the page at all, and simply close down the malicious site that hosts the Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam.
If you have interacted with the fake giveaway and provided your personal information, you should expect targeted phishing attacks in the future - especially if you provided your contacts such as email or phone number.
Likewise, it is not a secret that websites of dubious origin might insert malicious links or scripts that could result in malware infections. In some rare cases, if you have vulnerable software installed on the system, malware could be installed in the background without any interactions of yours.
To mitigate this, make sure you protect your system with , , or another powerful security program and have all the software on your computer updated to the latest version.
Note that redirects to phishing websites and malicious links could also be a sign of adware infection. This software is rather deceptive and spread in ways that often result in unintentional installation.
Once you are sure that your system is clean from adware or other malware, you should also make sure you clean your browser caches to ensure no unwanted parties are tracking your data passively. The easiest way to do it is by employing the repair and maintenance tool, although the manual method is also provided below.
MS Edge (Chromium)
MS Edge (legacy)
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content, and press Clear.
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
- Click Safari > Clear History...
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Questions about Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam
I opened the "Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam" e-mail. Am I hacked?
No. Opening and reading a phishing e-mail does not give anyone access to your account or your PC. Modern mail programs block scripts and remote content by default, so reading the message "Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam" only showed you text and pictures.
The danger comes from clicking the button and typing your password on the page it opens, or from opening an attached file. If you did neither, report the message as phishing and delete it.
If you clicked but closed the page without typing anything, there is also nothing to fix. If you did type a password, change it from another device and turn on two-step verification.
The "Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam" page asked for my code too. Is two-step verification enough?
Not when you typed the code yourself. Some phishing pages pass your password and the one-time code to the real site in real time, which lets the attacker sign in once. Change the password immediately, then sign out of all sessions so the stolen session ends.
Check the account's security page for new devices, app passwords and recovery details, and remove anything you did not add. A passkey or a hardware key is the strongest protection against this trick, because it cannot be typed into a fake page. Keep the e-mail "Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam" for your report, then delete it.
Could Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam be a genuine message?
We checked it, and it is not. A well-known company is only the costume. The message exists to get your password, and real companies handle that inside your account, after you sign in normally, not through links, attachments or phone numbers in a message you did not expect.
Scammers copy logos and footers perfectly, so the design proves nothing. The sender address, the link target and the request are the reliable signs, and all three point to a scam here. Delete it, and if you are worried, check your account directly.
Why does Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam say that your account needs urgent attention?
Because that story works. A problem that needs fixing, a deadline and a simple solution make people act before they check.
The claim that your account needs urgent attention is the same for everyone who received Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam; it was written once and sent in bulk. Nothing about your own situation triggered it.
If you are unsure, look at the real account or service the normal way, without using the message. The claim will not be there, which settles the question. Then report the message.
What does Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam want from me?
In the end, your password. Everything else in Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam, from the logo to the deadline, is there to get you to that point without stopping to think.
Knowing the goal helps you judge your risk. If you did not give it, you lost nothing and can delete the message. If you did, the steps in this guide are ordered by what you handed over:
- passwords first
- then card and bank details
- then documents and anything you installed
- ran
Act on the highest item on that list first.
I entered my password on the fake page. What should I do?
Change the password on the real site right away, through its own website or app, and sign out of all sessions.
If you use the same password anywhere else, change it there too. Turn on two-step verification with an authenticator app or a passkey. Check the account for changes:
- recovery e-mail
- phone number
- forwarding rules
- recently sent messages
If you can no longer sign in, use the provider's account recovery page. Tell your contacts if the account sent messages in your name.
Can I trick the scammers or waste their time?
Better not. Replying to Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam confirms that your address or number is live and puts it on lists that sell for more. Scammers who are teased sometimes switch to harassment or try to use any detail you reveal, such as your name, employer or location.
Playing along also risks a slip, like opening a link or a file they send. Report the message, block the sender and delete it. Your report does more damage to the operation than a conversation would.
Could malware on my computer cause Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam?
It can, but it is not the most common cause. Information stealers copy saved passwords and session cookies from browsers, which can lead to an e-mail with the subject "Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam". More often, the password came from a breach or a phishing page.
To be sure, run a full scan in Windows Security and check Installed apps and browser extensions. If anything is found, clean the PC first and change passwords afterwards from a clean device, because changing them on an infected PC lets the malware take the new ones too.
Why did I receive Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam?
Scam messages go to millions of addresses and numbers collected from data breaches, public websites and simple guessing. Receiving Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam does not mean your PC is infected or that an account of yours was hacked.
If the message includes an old password of yours, it comes from a breach of some website; change that password wherever you still use it. Mark the message as spam or phishing so your provider blocks similar ones. Never reply to ask to be removed from the list: the sender treats a reply as proof that the address works.
Will Fortect remove Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Twitter Crypto Giveaway scam, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- IBM: What is blockchain technology? (read October 6, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Fear of missing out (read October 6, 2026)
- The Guardian: NFT scams, toxic 'mines' and lost life savings: the cryptocurrency dream is fading fast (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize and avoid phishing scams (read October 6, 2026)
- CISA: Recognize and report phishing (read October 6, 2026)