The rise of scams targeting the cryptocurrency and NFT communities has taken a new turn in 2025 with the resurgence of the infamous “try my game” Discord scam. A recent case involving a user known as Princess Hypio highlights the dangers associated with this scheme. She reported a staggering loss of $170,000 in crypto and NFTs after a scammer infiltrated her Discord server, posing as a trusted acquaintance.
In a post shared on X, Princess Hypio revealed how she was manipulated into playing a game with the scammer on Steam. While she was engaged in gameplay, the scammer was covertly stealing her funds and hacking her Discord account. This tactic, which has been reported in various forms over the years, is particularly insidious as it exploits the trust within online communities.
“These scams do not exploit code; they exploit trust,” stated Nick Percoco, Chief Security Officer at Kraken. “Attackers impersonate friends and pressure people into taking actions they normally would not take.”
The “try my game” scam typically involves a hacker joining a Discord server to observe and learn about user interactions. They build trust by feigning interest in the victims’ crypto assets or NFTs, sometimes targeting those with valuable holdings. In Princess Hypio’s case, her ownership of a Milady NFT made her a prime target.
Once a victim is identified, the scammer invites them to play a game by sending a link to a malicious server hosting Trojan malware. This malware allows the hacker to access user devices, steal personal information, and drain connected cryptocurrency wallets. In Princess Hypio’s unfortunate experience, the game itself was legitimate, but the server it was hosted on was designed to deceive.
In light of these incidents, Discord recently released a policy clarifying that financial scams violate its terms of service. The platform aims to combat deceptive practices that have proliferated in online gaming and crypto communities.
Gabi Urrutia, Chief Information Security Officer at Halborn, emphasized the significance of social engineering in these scams. He noted that while the tactics may not be technically sophisticated, they leverage the trust between community members, making them particularly effective. “It’s not as important as traditional phishing in volume, but it’s more frequent in Web3 and gaming communities,” he explained.
To protect oneself from falling victim to such scams, experts recommend adopting a healthy sense of skepticism. Confirming identities through separate channels, avoiding unknown software, and recognizing that “doing nothing is safer than taking a risky step” are crucial strategies suggested by Percoco.
Urrutia also advised cultivating specific habits to defend against these scams, such as critically evaluating requests before signing anything, limiting privileges, and avoiding the same device for gaming and wallet management. From a community standpoint, enhancing security culture by verifying new members and restricting direct messages from strangers can mitigate these risks.
While Discord scams are increasingly common, the crypto landscape is also witnessing a surge in fake recruitment schemes, where victims are lured by job offers and tricked into clicking phishing links. Percoco noted that this trend is becoming more widespread across the industry.
As the crypto and NFT spaces continue to evolve, remaining vigilant and informed about these threats is essential for protecting assets and enhancing community security.
For further information on the rise of Discord scams and cybersecurity measures, please refer to Cointelegraph.
