I've seen many people fall victim to pump and dump in crypto.

It's nothing new, but in the cryptocurrency market, this practice has become almost an art.

Here's how it works. A group of people (often coordinated online) buys a little-traded coin when the price is still low.
Then they start spreading positive news, most of the time completely made up.
As people become interested and start buying, the price rises.
When it hits the peak, they sell everything they have.
Since they control a large portion of the token, the price crashes and everyone else is left holding nothing.

Why is crypto so vulnerable? Simple.
Anyone can create a new coin, platforms are everywhere, and regulations are still in chaos.
It's the Wild West, literally.
Scammers know this very well and target these illiquid tokens.

The classic tactic is this: the organizer gathers a group of influencers in private chats, coordinates purchases to prevent the price from rising too early, then these influencers start posting to their audience.
When the public arrives and buys, here comes the crypto dump.
They sell everything and leave with the profits while others get screwed.

How to protect yourself? First of all, when you see an unknown coin promoted everywhere, stop.
Read the whitepaper, check who is behind it, see if the project has actually developed something.
If a coin has been around for months and hasn't done anything concrete, it's a red flag.

Pay attention also to who talks about it.
If suddenly you see influencers who know nothing about crypto promoting a specific coin, ask yourself why.
They were probably paid for the pump and dump.

Always check official sources.
Website, official communication channels, everything must be verifiable.
And most importantly, see where the coin is traded.
If it's on a reputable exchange, at least there's some oversight.
If it's only traded on unknown DEXs, then yes, you need to be very careful.

The reality is that crypto dump remains a serious threat.
There's no 100% protection, but if you do serious research and focus on well-known projects and reliable exchanges, your chances of falling for it decrease significantly.
It's not guaranteed, but it's a good start.