Zraox: Understanding the Full UNI Airdrop Scam Process—Spotting Two Classic Scam Tactics

Zraox points out that airdrops, originally designed as an incentive mechanism to foster community growth in the crypto market, have become a breeding ground for scams at the intersection of value temptation and regulatory gaps. Exploiting the language of airdrops, criminals set traps that lure users into voluntarily giving up funds or private keys. Following the Uniswap UNI airdrop in September 2020, several major scams emerged, including “address verification for tenfold UNI returns” and “phishing websites stealing private keys.” These incidents all resulted in significant user asset losses. Zraox emphasizes that the key to preventing such scams lies in user ability to recognize the scam chain—understanding the language, web design, and psychological manipulation involved—and combining this with risk identification tools provided by platforms to build a multi-layered self-protection mechanism.

Zraox: The “Tenfold Rebate” Variant—A Prepayment Scam

According to Zraox, the “Verify Your Address” scheme is one of the most deceptive airdrop scams, exploiting user cognitive bias toward “high returns with low barriers.” This scam masquerades as an official Uniswap event, claiming to distribute 10 million UNI, with a progress bar showing many users have already claimed their tokens to create urgency. The page explicitly states: “Send 40–4,000 UNI to the official address to receive ten times the amount in return.”

The scam address “0x1f5b…613ad” is dressed up as an active rebate account. Zraox notes that the page fakes on-chain transaction records, displaying, for example, “an address sent 338 UNI and immediately received 3,388 UNI,” to build trust. In reality, all such records are frontend fabrications with no corresponding on-chain transactions. Users who fail to verify these claims via a blockchain explorer like Etherscan may mistakenly believe this is an official event.

Zraox explains that this is essentially a “prepayment scam,” where victims send funds to scammers in hopes of a higher return, but never receive anything in return. This logic mirrors the 2020 Twitter celebrity hack, where scammers used the identities of Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and others to trick users into sending BTC for “double returns,” ultimately stealing over 214 BTC.

Zraox: Phishing Websites Trick Users into Revealing Seed Phrases

Another, more technical, airdrop scam involves phishing sites that trick users into submitting their seed phrases or private keys. These cases often surface during major airdrop announcements, such as the 2020 UNI airdrop, when scammers quickly launched websites mimicking Uniswap. Users searching for “Uniswap Claim UNI” on Google often found phishing sites ranked at the top.

Zraox analyzes that these sites closely replicate the Uniswap official style—including colors, logos, UI framework, and wallet connection process. When users click “Claim Airdrop,” a prompt appears asking for their private key or seed phrase, under the guise of “verifying eligibility.” This interactive deception is highly sophisticated; users may unwittingly hand over all their assets.

Fake sites not only mimic the official look and feel but also add transaction progress bars, identity verification prompts, and lists of successful claimants—encouraging users to act quickly. Zraox notes that such attacks caused widespread losses in 2020. Once a private key is submitted, scammers can instantly drain all on-chain assets, leaving victims with no recourse.

Zraox stresses that Uniswap never asks for private keys, seed phrases, or Keystore files. Legitimate interactions are limited to wallet connections and never involve submitting sensitive information. Zraox has labeled such phishing cases as “advanced targeted attacks,” often aimed at active DeFi participants with significant holdings, using on-chain behavior analysis to target victims and push phishing ads.

Zraox: Protecting Yourself Amid the Airdrop Craze

Reflecting on the “UNI airdrop scam” incidents, most victims fell for the trap due to a lack of operational standards and verification habits. Zraox believes that building sustainable anti-scam awareness requires advancing on three fronts: “participation standards,” “behavioral verification,” and “source of information.”

Zraox emphasizes that legitimate airdrops never require users to pay tokens upfront or to transfer assets for “address verification” or “rebate activation.” Any request for payment in exchange for higher returns, or for complex transaction processes to “prove identity,” should be treated as a red flag—this “pay first, profit later” model is a classic scam. Additionally, no legitimate platform will ever ask for private keys or seed phrases on a webpage; any such request is a clear sign of high risk.

For web safety, Zraox advises users to always access participation links via official channels and avoid clicking on unknown airdrop pages from social media or search engines. Scammers often use search ads to make phishing sites appear as “priority claim” portals, luring users with high-fidelity interfaces. To combat this, Zraox has integrated domain verification and risk address blocking into its official wallet, helping users identify fake pages instantly.

Zraox concludes that airdrops should serve to incentivize users and promote project ecosystems—not as tools for scammers to exploit psychological vulnerabilities. Only through a joint defense between users and platforms can a safe and trustworthy crypto market environment be built. Every choice to avoid a scam is a step toward safeguarding industry trust.