Avoid Token Scams: Your Creator's Prevention Guide
Launching a token carries significant risk from scams targeting creators and their communities. This guide details the most common threats—from malicious smart contracts to fake launchpad fees—and provides specific steps to protect your project and your holders. Using a secure, transparent launchpad like Spawned eliminates many of these risks by design.
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The Problem
Traditional solutions are complex, time-consuming, and often require technical expertise.
The Solution
Spawned provides an AI-powered platform that makes building fast, simple, and accessible to everyone.
Why Token Creators Are Prime Targets
Your enthusiasm and capital make you a target.
Scammers focus on token creators because they control initial liquidity, community trust, and the contract itself. A successful scam against a creator can net thousands of dollars instantly and destroy a community's confidence. The rise of 'no-code' launch tools has made it easier for creators to launch, but also easier for bad actors to deploy traps. Unlike traditional projects where scams target investors, creator-focused scams aim to steal your SOL, your token supply, or hijack your project's momentum before it even begins. Understanding this mindset is the first step in prevention.
Top 5 Scams Targeting Solana Token Creators
Here are the most frequent scams, listed by their potential impact on you and your community.
- Hidden Mint/Burn Authority: A modified SPL Token contract where the scammer retains the ability to create (mint) unlimited new tokens or destroy (burn) existing ones after launch. This can instantly devalue your token to zero. Spawned uses standard, audited contracts where this authority is permanently renounced upon launch.
- Fake Launchpad Fees: Platforms advertising 'free' or '0%' fees but embedding excessive, hidden taxes (e.g., 10%+ per trade) in the token's tax mechanism. This drains holder value. Spawned's fees are fixed, transparent, and published upfront: 0.30% creator revenue, 0.30% holder rewards, and a 1% perpetual fee post-graduation via Token-2022.
- Liquidity Rug Pulls: The launch platform or a hired developer deploys the liquidity pool (LP) but retains control of the LP tokens. They later withdraw all the SOL, leaving your token with no value. Always verify LP is locked or burned. Reputable platforms automate this.
- Phishing as Support: After you announce your project, fake 'support' accounts on Telegram or X will DM you, pretending to be from a launchpad or wallet service, aiming to steal your seed phrase or private key. Never share these. Official support never asks for them.
- Website/Code Theft: 'Developers' offering custom websites or bots may embed malicious code that steals funds or redirects your community to phishing sites. Spawned's included AI website builder eliminates this risk and saves you $29-99/month on web hosting.
How Spawned's Design Prevents Common Scams
| Risk | Typical 'DIY' or Risky Launchpad | How Spawned Prevents It |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden Contract Functions | Creator must audit code themselves; easy to miss backdoors. | Uses standardized, open-source contracts. Mint/Burn authority is programmatically disabled at launch. |
| Fee Transparency | Opaque tax structures or sudden fee changes post-launch. | All fees are fixed and displayed before launch: 0.1 SOL launch fee, 0.30% creator cut, 0.30% holder rewards. |
| Liquidity Control | LP tokens may be held by an unknown party. | Liquidity is automatically managed; creators cannot access LP tokens for rug pulls. |
| Project Legitimacy | No website leads to community distrust and phishing clones. | AI website builder is included, providing an immediate official hub. |
| Post-Launch Support | Creator is abandoned after launch, left to handle issues alone. | Clear path to graduation with Token-2022 and 1% perpetual fee model for ongoing platform sustainability. |
7-Step Checklist to Avoid Launch Scams
Proactive verification is your strongest defense.
Follow these steps before connecting your wallet or sending any SOL to a launch platform.
Final Verdict: The Safest Path for Creators
For the vast majority of creators, especially those new to Solana, attempting a completely independent token launch or using an obscure launchpad presents an unacceptable level of risk. The complexity of smart contract security, liquidity provisioning, and fee mechanics is a minefield for scammers.
The most effective scam prevention is to use a platform that builds security into its core model. Spawned eliminates key scam vectors by disabling dangerous contract functions, enforcing transparent and low fees (0.30%/0.30%), and providing the tools (like an instant website) that reduce external threats. The 0.1 SOL launch fee is a minimal cost for this comprehensive protection and post-launch support structure.
Therefore, for creators prioritizing security and wanting to focus on community building rather than contract scrutiny, launching via Spawned is a clear and recommended choice to significantly mitigate scam risks.
Staying Secure After You Launch
Security doesn't end at launch. Protect your newborn community.
- Pin Official Links: Immediately pin your Spawned-generated website link and official market link (e.g., Raydium) in your Telegram and Discord. This is the single biggest action to prevent phishing.
- Educate Your Community: Warn them about 'support' DMs and fake token airdrops. Tell them you will never DM them first.
- Monitor for Clones: Regularly search for your token name + 'buy' or 'website'. Scammers create fake sites quickly.
- Use Your Website: Regularly update the news/blog section on your Spawned AI website. An active, official site pushes scam sites down in search results.
- Understand Graduation: Know that moving to Token-2022 on Spawned involves a clear 1% fee for sustained platform operations, not a hidden cost.
Launch with Confidence, Not Fear
Don't let the fear of scams paralyze your project. You can launch your token in a secure environment designed to protect you and your holders from the start.
Start your secure launch on Spawned and build on a foundation of transparency. The process includes our scam-prevention features by default: the vetted contract, the fee dashboard, and your project's instant AI website.
For more on planning a successful project, read our guide on how to launch a gaming token on Solana, which covers community building alongside technical security.
Related Topics
Frequently Asked Questions
The most immediate and damaging scam is the 'hidden mint authority' in a custom token contract. A scammer provides you with a contract that looks standard but secretly allows them to create unlimited new tokens after launch, instantly devaluing yours to zero. Using a launchpad like Spawned that employs standardized, renounced contracts eliminates this specific risk entirely.
No, often the opposite. A platform with no clear revenue model (0% fees) may embed hidden, high taxes in the token's transaction code (e.g., 10% buy/sell tax) to profit, which scams your holders. Or, they may be poorly maintained, increasing security risks. Transparent fees like Spawned's 0.30% for creators and 0.30% for holders ensure sustainable, honest operations.
First, verify your contract on a Solana explorer like Solscan. Check for mint/burn authority and a high tax percentage. If you find malicious code, you must warn your community immediately. Unfortunately, deployed contracts cannot be altered. You would need to abandon that token and re-launch. This highlights the importance of initial due diligence. Consider a secure re-launch using Spawned.
It provides an instant, professional-looking official hub for your project. This allows you to centralize all real links (socials, market links) in one place. When you direct your community to this single, verified site, it drastically reduces the success rate of phishing sites that scammers create. It also builds immediate legitimacy, making your project less of a target for clone scams.
When you add SOL to create a trading pair (liquidity pool), you receive LP tokens that control that SOL. A 'liquidity lock' (or burn) means those LP tokens are sent to a unreachable contract, making it impossible for anyone to withdraw the SOL later. If a scammer holds the LP tokens, they can 'rug pull' by withdrawing all the SOL, leaving your token worthless. A secure launchpad like Spawned handles this locking automatically.
No, it's the opposite—a security feature. This small, upfront fee supports the platform's secure infrastructure, audit processes, and ongoing development. A completely free launch platform often has hidden monetization methods (like embedded high taxes) or may lack resources for proper security maintenance, making it riskier. The 0.1 SOL fee is a transparent cost for a secured launch environment.
The contract code for tokens launched on Spawned is open-source and verifiable on-chain via Solana explorers like Solscan. After launch, you (and anyone) can inspect the contract to confirm that mint and freeze authorities are permanently disabled. This transparency is a core part of the platform's security model, allowing for public verification that no backdoors exist.
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