How to avoid common crypto scams?

Free Giveaways
Due to the viral nature of how information spreads across on the internet, scammers seek to take advantage of people by offering free giveaways of bitcoin or other digital currencies in exchange for sending a small amount to register, or by providing some personal information. When you see this on a website or social network, it's best to immediately report the content as fraudulent, so that others don't fall victim.

Impersonation
Unfortunately it's very easy for con-artists to create social media accounts and impersonate people. Often times they lie in wait, until the person they're trying to impersonate publishes content. The impersonator then replies to it with a follow-up message or call to action - like a free giveaway - using an account that looks almost identical to the original poster or author. This makes it seem like the original person is saying it. Alternatively, impersonators may also try to use these same fake accounts to trick others via private or direct message into taking some kind of action in an attempt to defraud or compromise. Never participate in free giveaways, and if you receive an odd request via someone in your network, it's best to double check to confirm the authenticity via multiple mediums of communication.

Money Transfer Fraud
Do not reply to emails or inbound communications from strangers telling you they need help moving some money, whereafter in exchange for your services, you'll get a portion of the funds.

Phishing Emails
Beware of emails purported to be from services you use soliciting you for action, such as resetting your password, or clicking through to provide some sort of interaction with regard to your account. It can be very difficult to spot the difference in a fake email that's trying to entice you to compromise your account, and a legitimate one sent on behalf of a product or service that you use. When in doubt, considering triple-checking the authenticity of the communication by forwarding it to the company, using the contact email address on their website, calling them on the telephone, and/or reaching out to them via their official social media accounts.

Phishing Websites
Phishing websites often go hand-in-hand with phishing emails. Phishing emails can link to a replica website designed to steal login credentials or prompt one to install malware. Do not install software or log in to a website unless you are 100% sure it isn't a fake one. Phishing websites may also appear as sponsored results on search engines or in app marketplaces used by mobile devices. Be wary that you aren't downloading a fake app or clicking a sponsored link to a fake website.

Ponzi Schemes
Do not participate in offerings where one or more people offer you a guaranteed return in exchange for an upfront deposit. This is known as a ponzi scheme, where-in future depositors' principals are used to pay previous investors. The end result is usually a lot of people losing a lot of money.

Pyramid Schemes
A pyramid scheme promises returns to participants based on the number of people they invite to join. This enables the scheme to grow virally and rapidly, however, it most often doesn't result in any kind of meaningful return for the members and/or those invited who also joined. Never invite your personal network under the sole goal of accumulating rewards or returns from a product or service, and do not contribute your own capital at the behest of others to accelerate the process.

Pump and Dumps
Do not trust people who entice you or others to invest because they claim that they know what the bitcoin price is going to be. In a pump and dump scheme, a person (or persons) try to artificially drive up or pump the price so that they can dump their holdings for a profit.

Scam Coins
Be careful when investing in alternative coins (altcoins). Amongst altcoins there may be scam coins, enticing users to invest via private sales, or with presale discounts. Scam coins may feature a flashy website and/or boast a large community to create a fear of missing out effect on people who discover it. This helps early holders pump up the price so that they can dump and exit their positions for a profit. Scam coins without large communities may do airdrops - offering free coins (or tokens) to people in exchange for joining their communities. This enables scam coins to present their initiatives with inflated traction metrics to make investors feel like they're missing out when it comes time for them to decide if they'd like to buy-in. Scam coins may also use the word Bitcoin in them in an effort to trick or mislead people into thinking there is a legitimate relationship.