Short answer
Hide the member list (groups of 100+), turn on Aggressive Anti-Spam (groups of 200+), give real admins custom titles and pin a rule that admins never write first. Add a bot that flags new members whose name copies an admin, and report each fake admin to @NoToScam.
Who this is for: Admins and moderators of crypto Telegram groups.
How the scam works
A scammer joins your group, copies an admin's name and photo, and reads the member list. Then the copy writes to members one by one: "I saw your question, here is our support link", or "you won the airdrop, connect your wallet here". The link is a phishing page. Display names and photos can be copied freely; only the @username is unique.
Settings to turn on
| Setting | What it does | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| Hide Members | Hides the member list, so scammers cannot collect silent members to DM (December 2022) | Groups with 100+ members |
| Aggressive Anti-Spam | Uses Telegram's own spam detection in your group; mistakes can be undone from Recent Actions (December 2022) | Groups with over 200 members |
| Admin titles | Shows a custom title next to real admins, such as "Team" or "Mod" (August 2019) | Any group |
| Restrict Saving Content | Blocks forwarding and saving, so your announcements are harder to copy (December 2021) | Groups and channels |
- Open the group, tap its name, then Edit (the pencil).
- Under Members, turn on Hide Members.
- Under Administrators, open each real admin and set a custom title.
- Under Group Type, turn on Restrict Saving Content if you post announcements there.
- In large groups, turn on Aggressive Anti-Spam from the same settings.
Menu names change between Telegram versions; if you do not see an option, update the app.
Rules to pin
Settings slow scammers down; a clear rule stops members from trusting them. Pin something like:
Admins and the team NEVER message you first. We never ask for your seed phrase, private key or a wallet connection in DMs. Real admins: @admin_one, @admin_two (check the @username, not the name or photo). Official links: https://your-project.example/links
Repeat it in your welcome message and post it again after every wave of fake DMs.
Catch copies as they join
A copy usually joins with a name very close to an admin's, such as an extra space, a Cyrillic letter or "Support" added. Telegram has no setting that blocks look-alike names, so a bot has to check each new member. When a fake admin writes to your members, report it to @NoToScam and ban it; see how to report a fake on Telegram.
Sources
- Telegram blog: Aggressive Anti-Spam
- Telegram blog: Hide Members
- Telegram blog: Restrict Saving Content
- Telegram: evolution (Admin Titles)
- Telegram FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does hiding the member list stop all DMs?
No. Anyone who posts in the group is still visible. It does stop scammers from collecting the whole list of silent members, which is how most mass DM campaigns start.
Why do fake admins look exactly like mine?
Display names and photos can be copied freely; only the username is unique. Teach members to check the @username, and use admin titles so real admins are marked inside the group.
Should I disable DMs for my admins?
Telegram lets each user limit who can message them in privacy settings. It protects admins from scams, but does not stop impostors writing to members, so the pinned rule matters more.