Axie Infinity is an NFT game, meaning that you’ll have to shell out real money in order to buy cryptocurrency, which in turn could be used to buy in-game assets you can use to play and earn more money. 

Unfortunately, not everyone was born with good intentions. In the world of crypto, there are a lot of scammers and hackers lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to nab all of your hard-earned gains by taking over your wallet.

Luckily for you, there is a way to keep them at bay and protect your valuable Axie assets. 

1. NEVER Share Your Seed Phrase

Probably the most important golden rule in crypto is to NEVER EVER share your seed phrase–the passkey to your digital wallet which is composed of either a series of words, or a unique string of symbols. 

Sharing your seed phrase is like giving a burglar your house keys. Once someone has gained access to your seed phrase, they can easily withdraw and transfer all of your assets into their wallet, stealing all of your money in the process.

There are a few best practices for keeping your seed phrase safe. 

Don’t keep it on a file in your computer or device; hackers will be able to find them. Instead, use the old-fashioned, un-hackable, pen and paper to take note of your seed phrase.

Make multiple copies of this piece of paper with your seed phrase because if it gets lost, burned, or otherwise destroyed, you’re hosed.

2. Avoid Sketchy People and Websites

“Win FREE SLP/AXS. Just send your seed phrase to claim!” If you think there’s nothing wrong with that statement, I have a bridge to sell you…

There are plenty of sketchy people and websites on the internet, and it’s your responsibility to avoid them. 

Some people may approach you with deals too good to be true or pose as Axie Infinity devs/tech support. Some may even develop fake websites in order to steal your credentials, compromising your account.

Spotting them may be hard for the untrained eye, but there are a few telltale signs you can use to discern whether someone is sketchy or not.

If they try to entice you with a deal that’s REALLY really good, then it’s probably a scam. There are also a ton of people on Discord that pose as Axie Infinity devs, so you need to view their actual profile in order to confirm their identity. Axie Infinity devs are busy, they don’t spend their time reaching out to random players to tell them about great deals. Unless you contact them on the official Discord channel, assume it’s a scam.

Fake websites are also easy to spot as long as you can tell by the URL (the link to the website). It also helps if you bookmark the legit ones or only click on links posted by verified members and devs of the community.

3. Use a Hardware Wallet

If you want to feel even more secure, use a hardware wallet like the Trezor One. It essentially acts as a physical wallet, so hackers will have a harder time trying to access your assets.

It also offers more security by requiring another password, and it needs to be connected to your computer in order to access your digital wallet. You may feel like it’s a bit overkill or you trust yourself enough not to get hacked, but getting a hardware wallet is definitely worth it, especially when dealing with large sums of money.

You can check out our guide on how to set up your Trezor One:

How to Use a Hardware Wallet with Axie Infinity

4. Double-check All Your Transactions

Knowing how transactions within crypto and blockchains work can also be beneficial in making sure your assets are safe and sound. Double-checking if the address you’ll be sending crypto to is where you actually want to send it. 

I know someone who copied the right address but somehow pasted the wrong one. Their computer might’ve been already infected by malware, but they still could’ve avoided losing their assets if only they double-checked.

5. Always Be on High Alert

Hackers are a creatively dangerous bunch of people. 

While I’ve listed some of the ways you can prevent scammers and hackers from stealing your money, they could be plotting new ways and techniques as you read this article. Being alert and cautious of your digital presence will always be an important aspect of internet safety.

Even if you know all of the stuff I told you, it won’t matter if you’re not alert enough to spot them. I’ve seen people lose tons of money by falling for the oldest tricks in the crypto book, all because they were half-asleep or didn’t see anything wrong.

Being vigilant is the most important key to making sure you keep your assets. 

Key Points

• Keep your seed phrase somewhere secure and never share it

• Learn how to spot and avoid scams in the digital space

• Get yourself a hardware wallet

• Double, triple, quadruple check your transactions

• Always be alert when surfing the internet

• Bookmark legitimate websites 

• Only click links from verified sources and make sure they are legit