ICO/IDO Safety Checklist: 7 Things to Verify Before You Invest to ICO | IDO

ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) and IDOs (Initial DEX Offerings) opened the door for early crypto investors to join projects before they launch — but they also became a playground for scammers and rugpull schemes.

Before you invest in any token sale, walk through this simple yet powerful checklist from RugScamAlert.

✅ 1. Team Transparency

• Is there clear information about the founders or team (LinkedIn, X/Twitter, GitHub)?

• Are their profiles real — or AI-generated faces with zero background?

⚠️ If you can’t verify their identity or past work, it’s a red flag.

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✅ 2. Tokenomics Clarity

• Are token allocations public and detailed (team, investors, liquidity, community)?

• Is there a vesting schedule (lock-up period for team/investors)?

💣 No vesting = possible instant dump after launch.

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✅ 3. Smart Contract Audit

• Has the smart contract been audited by a trusted third party (CertiK, PeckShield, SolidProof)?

• Check for risky functions like mint(), withdraw(), or blacklist().

🧨 No audit or vague “audit pending” claims = proceed with caution.

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✅ 4. Liquidity Lock

• Is liquidity locked (on Unicrypt, TeamFinance, or another locker)?

• For how long? Who can unlock it?

💥 If developers can withdraw LP tokens anytime, it’s a rugpull risk.

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✅ 5. Community Engagement

• Are the Telegram/Discord chats full of real users — or bots?

• Do devs answer questions transparently?

• Are roadmap updates consistent and verifiable?

🤖 Fake engagement is one of the easiest signs of a scam.

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✅ 6. Real Utility & Roadmap

• Does the project have a real product, demo, or MVP?

• Is the roadmap logical and achievable?

🚫 “To the moon” promises without any actual product are red flags.

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✅ 7. External Reviews

• Search the project name on RugScamAlert.com, Twitter (X), or Reddit.

• Read what others are saying — scam victims usually leave clues.

🕵️‍♂️ If multiple sources warn you, don’t ignore it.

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🚨 Key Takeaway

No audit, no team, no liquidity lock = No investment.
Even the most hyped project can rug the next day if you skip these checks.

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“ICO/IDO Safety Checklist”:

1. 👤 – Team transparency

2. 📊 – Tokenomics

3. 🛡️ – Audit

4. 🔒 – Liquidity lock

5. 💬 – Community

6. ⚙️ – Utility

7. 🔍 – Reviews