How New Jersey Residents Can Spot Trustworthy Sources in the Digital Age

This content was produced in partnership with binance.com.

Any New Jersey residents who are interested in digital topics like cryptocurrency are likely to have found that finding reliable sources of information on the modern internet might be just as important as being able to comprehend the information that they find. If you are looking for information on the Bitcoin price USD, for example, you are likely to find market data on exchanges like Binance, but that information is just as readily available as social media posts, advertisements, and anonymous commentary on the market. Understanding how to distinguish information that comes from a reliable source from information that might be a scam has become a crucial part of using the modern internet.

These risks are by no means only theoretical. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recorded 13,400 complaints in 2025 related to cryptocurrency kiosks, with reported losses of nearly $389 million across the nation. Of that total, 369 of those complaints and around $17.9 million were attributed specifically to New Jersey.

Why Is Online Trust So Difficult To Judge?

It used to be easy to differentiate between a dodgy website and one that was trustworthy, but this is no longer so easy.

Scammers are able to use sophisticated digital tools to copy the logos of companies, create websites that seem convincing, and even to buy advertising to target vulnerable people or to impersonate financial professionals with reasonable levels of detail. Data from the Federal Trade Commission states that more than $2.1 billion was lost to scams on social media in 2025. Of those scams, more than half were investment-related.

Cryptocurrency, unfortunately, is a particularly attractive sector for fraudsters. One of the main reasons for this is that crypto payments are very difficult, often impossible, to reverse. The FBI has released information warning about schemes in which criminals will invest significant time and resources into building relationships with their victims through social media, before introducing a supposedly profitable crypto investment.

The upshot of all of this is that the source of any information is important. A post that is found on social media with no attributable author, or an author with no clear expertise, should not be weighted in the same way as real market data or educational material that a reputable exchange like Binance hosts.

Why Should You Look For Evidence, Not Excitement?

The best way to verify information that you find online is to check the evidence that it provides.

Any financial information that is reliable will present evidence for what it is claiming, evidence that is able to be verified outside of the information itself. Risks should be explained, speculation should not be presented as certainty, and the sources of data should be identified.

The FTC warns consumers that promises of large returns, or of investments that carry little or no risk, should be treated with extreme caution. It also states that consumers should conduct their own research into investment companies or other financial products they engage with online. This includes information that extends to cryptocurrency.

If a website provides detailed information on how an asset works, provides information about the services that it offers and acknowledges that investment losses are always a real possibility, it is far more valuable than a post that claims profits could be made, even if it is less exciting.

Be Careful With Social-Media Recommendations

Social media should not be avoided and treated as though everything you see is false, but it is important that the popularity of a social media post is not confused with verification of fact.

It doesn't matter how popular a post is; it can still be wrong or misleading. Accounts that seem legitimate and impressive could still be fraudulent in nature. Even the accounts of people you know in real life might become compromised by digital bad actors.

The FTC provides some advice for dealing with the potential pitfalls of social media scams involving fake or compromised accounts, and the advice is relatively simple. Research any opportunity independently, take your time digesting information you receive and keep in mind that genuine investments will involve risk.

Direct messages that you receive on social media or through text should also be treated with caution, especially when they relate to financial opportunities.

Is There a Simple Digital Checklist For Staying Safe?

Yes! There are a few simple steps that will help you to stay safe if you follow them before acting on financial information. You should ask yourself these questions:

1. Where did the information come from? Can the sources be checked?
2. What is being promised? Claims of no risk or high returns are red flags in financial information.
3. Who published the information? Can you identify the author?
4. Am I being pressured to act? Scammers frequently use urgency to make people act without thinking.
5. Am I using an official communication channel? It is always best practice to visit a website directly, rather than clicking on links from unknown sources.
6. Can the information be verified? If you can verify the information independently, it is more likely to be real.

It might take time to work through this list, but time is something scammers will try to use against you. Don't ever fold to pressure about time-sensitive financial rewards; take your time and think things through.

Where Does Trust Start With Online Financial Information?

Trust should begin when information has been verified, not sooner.

The modern internet has made financial information much easier to access for everyone, but it has also made it easier to make unreliable information look real. You should seek to verify any financial information you find online, whatever the source and whatever the financial product that information relates to.

Author: Liam Clarke

Liam is a content writer from Australia. He has been writing content for years and has a flexible style that allows him to write content to suit many topics. When he isn't writing content, he's watching classic films and providing enrichment for his cat.