Puisa kotha hunibo? Crypto with caution

20 years ago, who knew crypto would get this big? The space has been evolving rapidly, and many young people, including Naga youth, are getting burned by preventable mistakes. The reality is harsh, but needs to be said.
Yes, cryptocurrency offers incredible opportunities. The stories of overnight millionaires are real, and the technology is genuinely revolutionary. But for every success story, there are countless tales of heartbreak that never make the headlines. Remember the WazirX hack? Over $230 million vanished in what became one of India’s biggest crypto heists. If a platform trusted by millions can be compromised, it shows just how real the risks are.
Individuals are now being targeted directly. Crypto scams are getting smarter. Multiple documented cases involve people who fell for the same Twitter scam. Someone reaches out with a lucrative job offer, asks to download a “video conferencing app” for the interview. Within hours, their wallets are drained. The app was malware designed to steal everything. Another common trick involves polished websites that look like legitimate businesses. They ask you to “connect your wallet to verify ownership” and boom, your funds disappear instantly.
No warning, no way to reverse it. These aren’t technical failures; they’re carefully crafted psychological traps designed to fool crypto users.
The WhatsApp groups are perhaps the most heartbreaking scams. Self-proclaimed “crypto mentors” sharing doctored screenshots of impossible returns. They prey on our dreams, our FOMO, our desire to escape financial limitations. We hear of young people investing their college fees, their parents’ hard-earned savings, chasing promises that were never real.
This isn’t about avoiding crypto entirely. But approach it like any serious investment. Research everything twice. Never share the seed phrase (master key to your crypto wallet). Giving someone access to it is like handing over your bank account password to a stranger. If someone promises guaranteed returns, run. Watch out for AI-generated fake videos of celebrities like Elon Musk claiming to launch new coins or promising free money to the first 1000 people who connect their wallets to sketchy websites.
Scams will keep evolving, but our defence is knowledge and caution. That’s why it’s important to invest in knowledge first, money second.
Our financial future is too precious to gamble away on get-rich-quick schemes. Real conversations, shared experiences, and genuine awareness are what safeguard our future. Not luck, not hype, but insight and community.

The original published column can be found at : Crypto with caution