Recently, I noticed that a new wave of scams is gaining momentum in the Web3 community, and it’s important to talk about it. We’re talking about the so-called MEV bots, which scammers use as bait to trick people into handing over their money. Security organizations like Web3 Antivirus have already issued warnings, but it looks like many people are still falling for it.

The scheme works quite cleverly. First, scammers record tutorial videos and post them on YouTube, promising to show how to deploy a magical smart contract that supposedly automatically makes money through MEV arbitrage. It sounds tempting, especially if you’ve been dreaming of passive income for a long time. The victim deploys the contract, sends the first investment ( often this is 2 ETH or more ), and waits for a miracle.

Then the most interesting part begins. The scammer pre-funds the contract with their own money to create the illusion of fast profits. When you check the balance, you see not only your investment but also “profit.” It works like magic on human greed. Trust grows, and the victim is ready to invest even more.

Then comes the moment of truth. The person decides to withdraw their funds along with the “earnings,” and that’s when the entire mevbot code goes into full effect. The withdrawal function returns nothing to the owner— instead, all assets are transferred directly to the scammer’s wallet. The entire operation is a carefully planned trap that exploits human weaknesses.

So how do you avoid becoming a victim? First, any video that promises automated high profits or free arbitrage tools should be treated as a potential scam. I’m serious. Never trust code from unofficial sources.

Second, before interacting with a smart contract that requires depositing funds, you need to study its code. If you’re not familiar with the code, turn to professionals—auditing firms or security experts. Pay special attention to withdrawal functions and asset transfers.

Third, use tools to simulate transactions. MetaMask and other professional wallets allow you to simulate a transaction before sending it. If you see that your funds will be sent to an unknown address—stop. Don’t sign.

And the most important rule: always test with minimal amounts. If any “bot” requires a large investment to activate or to demonstrate profits, that’s a huge red flag.

There’s no room for naivety in the blockchain. The decentralized nature of Web3 means that after a malicious code is deployed, it will be embedded there forever. Scammers are constantly improving their methods, so protecting your assets requires not only technical knowledge, but also healthy skepticism. Remember: there are no free lunches in crypto. Stay alert.