Keeping It Safe
Bitcoin is like cash: if someone takes it, it is really gone, and nobody can give it back. So being safe matters a lot. Here are the big rules, nice and simple.
Secret words on paper, hidden safe. Tricksters get nothing.
The safety rules
- Write your secret words on paper. Not a photo, not a text, not email, not the cloud. Paper, hidden in two safe spots. If your phone breaks, those words bring your money back.
- Never type your secret words into a website or give them to anyone. Ever. (We said it in Lesson 3 because it is that important.)
- Lock your apps. Use a strong password and turn on the extra code (called 2-step or 2FA) that your exchange app offers.
Watch out for tricks (scams)
- "Send me 1 Bitcoin and I will send you 2 back!" That is always a lie. Free money is bait.
- "I am support, give me your secret words to fix your account." That is a thief. Real support never asks.
- A stranger online who becomes your friend and then tells you where to invest. That is a trap.
The golden rule: “Not your keys, not your coins.” If YOU hold your secret words, you truly own your Bitcoin. If someone else (or an app) holds them, you are just trusting them to be honest. For big amounts, keep your own keys.
Lesson 7 of 8