Verify the operator, the exact route and the evidence behind every important promise. If those checks fail, do not test the uncertainty with a deposit.
Stop for these warning signs
A warning sign is a reason to investigate or decline, not a substitute for proving a specific accusation. Keep public allegations tied to evidence.
- A request for your seed phrase, private key or remote control of your wallet.
- A guarantee of untraceability, no freezes, guaranteed legality or guaranteed recovery.
- An unsolicited recovery offer requiring an advance payment.
- A mismatch between the advertised service, domain, contract and deposit instructions.
- No identifiable terms for custody, fees, interruption and refunds.
- Pressure to send again before the first transaction is explained.
Read proof for scope, not decoration
Scroll horizontally to read all columns.
| Evidence | Useful for | Not enough to prove |
|---|---|---|
| Contract audit | Issues in the reviewed code and scope. | A different deployed version, server practices or guaranteed safety. |
| Reserve report | A dated statement about the specified backing. | Every user’s redemption access or an uninterrupted market price. |
| Explorer receipt | Recorded execution and token movement. | An operator’s solvency or future refunds. |
| Customer review | An attributed account of one person’s experience. | Universal reliability or independent verification. |
| Search ranking | Visibility for a particular query at a particular time. | Safety, legality, licensing or endorsement. |
Verify the route independently
Navigate from a verified official source rather than an unsolicited message or advertisement. Inspect the destination hostname, including spelling and unexpected subdomains. A padlock indicates an encrypted connection, not an honest operator.
Compare the wallet’s actual permission request with the stated operation. If the request authorizes a different spender or action, stop. Do not use screenshots of an old confirmation as evidence for a new transaction.
Using a service requires more than a deposit address
Before using a USDT mixer-labelled service, establish its operator, exact token and network, custody, total cost, eligibility and interruption or refund terms. If those are missing, do not send a test deposit to learn whether it works. StableScope does not accept funds or provide a mixing workflow.
A “no AML” claim cannot establish an exemption from applicable anti-money-laundering rules. FinCEN’s framework depends on the activity and role, not the label. A user and a money-transmission business can have different obligations; this is not a service-specific legal conclusion.
The second scam often follows the first
The FTC warns that people who have already lost money can be targeted by refund and recovery scams. An unexpected contact promising to recover funds for an upfront fee is a danger signal, even if the person knows details of the earlier loss.
Do not pay a purported tax, release fee or recovery charge merely because a stranger claims it will unlock funds. Research the organization independently and use an official contact route, not the number or link supplied in the solicitation.
If you suspect a loss
Stop additional payments.
Do not increase exposure to satisfy an unexplained demand.
Preserve a private record.
Keep transaction identifiers, domains, correspondence and timestamps. Redact sensitive information before sharing.
Contact relevant official support.
Ask the platform involved about its incident process. If signing secrets were exposed, consult the wallet provider’s verified security guidance promptly.
Report through an appropriate authority.
The FTC’s recovery-scam guidance links to its reporting channel and state-attorney-general resources for U.S. users. Recovery is not guaranteed.
Safe, secure and trusted are questions—not badges
Scroll horizontally to read all columns.
| Word used | Question to ask | Safe conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Safe | Safe from what: theft, wrong-network loss, issuer restriction or legal exposure? | No universal safety claim is justified without a defined scope and evidence. |
| Secure | Which code, operator, wallet permission and data system were assessed, and when? | A certificate or audit for one layer does not cover every layer. |
| Trusted | Who is accountable, what terms apply and what can be independently checked? | Search position, reviews and a familiar logo are not independent verification. |
If the operator cannot answer those questions, do not test the uncertainty with a deposit. StableScope can explain the checks but does not endorse an unverified service.
Sources & review
Editorial review: Sep 21, 2026. Source-specific dates and retrieval limits are stated where relevant. Issuer and service statements are attributed, not independently audited; a citation is not an endorsement.
- FTC · Refund and recovery scams (opens in a new tab)
Warnings about unsolicited recovery offers and upfront fees.
- Circle · USDC terms (opens in a new tab)
Redemption eligibility, blocked addresses and issuer rights.
- Tether · Legal terms (opens in a new tab)
Issuer terms and restrictions; check the applicable entity and document.
- FinCEN · 2019 virtual-currency guidance (opens in a new tab)
U.S. money-transmission framework and business-model distinctions.