How to check if a crypto token is a scam, before you buy
Most scam tokens fail the same handful of checks. Here's what each one means, how to spot it yourself, and how to run all of them in a single call from Claude, Cursor or code, from $0.02 a check.
Add it to Claude or Cursor free (30 seconds) See a live answer first
The 7 red flags that catch most scams
None of these proves a token is safe on its own, and a clean result is not a guarantee. But a token that fails any of them deserves a hard look before you put money in.
- Honeypot: you can buy but not sell. The contract blocks or fails sells for everyone except the creator. The only reliable test is simulating a sell.
- High or changeable tax: a buy or sell tax of more than a few percent, or a tax the owner can raise later (a common trick is 0% at launch, then 99%).
- Mint or freeze powers: the owner can print new tokens or freeze your balance. On Solana, look at the mint and freeze authorities; on EVM chains, look for owner-only mint functions.
- Upgradeable or hidden-owner contract: a proxy contract can be swapped for new code after you buy; a hidden owner keeps control after ownership looks renounced.
- Liquidity that isn't locked: if the creator holds the pool's LP tokens, they can pull the liquidity and leave the price at zero (a rug pull).
- Concentrated holders: a few wallets (not exchanges or locks) holding most of the supply can dump on buyers.
- A brand-new, thin pool: a pool a few hours old with little liquidity means a big price impact and nothing to fall back on.
How to check a token in one call
Our token safety check runs all seven for you and answers in plain English: a 0-100 safety score, a verdict and the reasons. It covers Base, Solana, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Polygon, Optimism and Avalanche and costs $0.02 a call.
About to trade? The pre-trade check adds your trade size: go, caution or no-go, with the price impact and round-trip cost ($0.01). For a full picture (holders, liquidity, price action, whale moves) use the token report ($0.10).
- Copy the contract address. From the project's official site or a block explorer, not from a DM or a reply. Scam copies often share the same name and ticker.
- Add the checker to your AI app. Get a free key on the set-up page and paste the connector URL into Claude or Cursor. It takes about 30 seconds.
- Ask in plain words. "Is 0x… on Base safe to buy?" Your assistant runs the check and explains the flags.
- Read the flags, not just the score. A honeypot or an unlocked pool is a deal-breaker whatever the score says.
From code: one HTTP call
Every check is also a plain HTTP endpoint. Call it without paying to see the price (you get 402 Payment Required), then pay per call in USDC with any x402 client, or send an API key with prepaid credits. See x402 examples.
curl -i "https://aayatai.com/token/safety?address=0x4ed4E862860beD51a9570b96d89aF5E1B0Efefed&chain=base"Live example
Try it: the safety check for a real token on Base
Free, no sign-up: a real answer from our own health check for this input. Your own questions cost $0.02 a call, and the first 20 a day are free in Claude or Cursor.
https://aayatai.com/token/safety?address=0x4ed4E862860beD51a9570b96d89aF5E1B0Efefed&chain=base Ask your AI assistant
Once it's added, just ask in plain words. For example:
Is this token safe to buy on Base? 0x4ed4E862860beD51a9570b96d89aF5E1B0EfefedGet a free key and add it All tools and prices
Tools on this page
5 of these 6 are in the free trial (20 calls a day over MCP). Prices come straight from our live price list; failed calls are never charged.
| Tool | What it answers | Price per call |
|---|---|---|
| Check a token: is it a scam? | Rug-pull and scam check for any token on Base, Solana, Ethereum, BNB, Arbitrum, Polygon, Optimism or Avalanche. | $0.02free to try |
| Trade precheck cached | Pre-trade check before buying or selling a token, cached tier (up to 5 minutes old): go/caution/no-go with reasons, from token safety and taxes, liquidity and estimated price impact for your trade size, holder concentration, the chain's swap fee now and the round-trip cost. | $0.01free to try |
| Full token report | Full token report, live: safety (honeypot, taxes, owner powers), holders (concentration, exchange/fund/locked share), liquidity (depth, locks, pools), price action, social/news buzz and smart-money signals (trade sizes, buy pressure, exchange and fund flows, whale transfers), with an overall rating and headline, in one call. | $0.10 |
| Token holders | Token holder concentration now and over time: holder count, top-1 and top-10 share, the top 10 that can actually sell (excluding pools and locks), supply held by exchanges, funds and contracts, labelled top holders, plus stored history with 1/7/30-day changes and a trend (concentrating or distributing). | $0.01free to try |
| Pool depth | Liquidity-pool depth and slippage for a trade size on any token (8 chains incl. Base, Solana, Ethereum): each major pool's liquidity, fee tier and estimated price impact for your amount, the largest trade for 0.5/1/2/5% impact, and whether splitting across pools helps (with the split). | $0.005free to try |
| Is this wallet safe to deal with? | Screens a wallet or contract address before you pay, trade with or accept funds from it: sanctions (OFAC), theft/hacks, phishing, money laundering, mixers, scams, fake tokens and malicious contracts, with a verdict (high-risk, suspicious, clean). | $0.005free to try |
Questions people ask
Is a token safe if it passes every check?
No. The checks catch the common traps in public on-chain data. A project can still fail, be abandoned or be misrepresented. Use the result to rule tokens out, not to decide to buy, and never invest more than you can afford to lose. This is not financial advice.
What is a honeypot token?
A token whose contract lets you buy but stops you selling (or taxes a sell at close to 100%). You only find out when you try to sell. The safety check simulates a sell to catch it.
How much does a check cost?
$0.02 per safety check, charged only when the check succeeds. In Claude or Cursor the first 20 calls a day are free, with no sign-up.
Which chains are covered?
Base, Solana, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Polygon, Optimism and Avalanche.
Do I need to connect a wallet?
No. The checks only read public blockchain data. You never connect or sign anything with your wallet to run them.
Related
- Token scam checker for Claude
- Crypto MCP server for Claude and Cursor
- Base gas price right now (and the cheapest chain)
More: every use case · developer docs · llms.txt