- Pro-tip: How to avoid buying fake ENS domains!
- Introducing common traps of “fake domain”. When we do a search for ENS domain on opensea, for example, amazon.eth, a number of results will show. Some is even super cheap, then how do we tell which is the legit one?
- A common way to fake is to replace some letter inside with non-ASCII character, some of which might look no difference at all. There is a warning box in opensea for all such non-ASCII domains. So when you see something cheap, hold your excitement, double check before proceed.
- Another trap is that people can create a fake collection which looks like the legit one. In this open blockchain world, anyone can create anything especially NFT. Just pay attention and make sure you see a “verified collection” mark, and this is the key for us to differ.
- Mint and sales history is also a very important clue, all history record of any domain is on chain and not removable: mint/transfer/sale/offer/list/cancel. It is not likely that an OG level domain was first time minted after 2020. Just spend some time to review these records.
- The right way to find or buy a domain is: visit opensea, use your keyboard to type in the domain in the search bar, locate the only legit one via the methods above, then proceed. When you reach into an offline deal with someone, also use this way to double verify his listing.
- It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. In this crazy age, cost of crime is low, and maybe they won’t even call this a crime, given we are under this open minded damn blockchain world. We can only rely on ourselves, and only our own keyboards won’t cheat us.
By Master.eth