To spot a fake NFT collection on OpenSea, ignore the name and the logo and check the contract address against one published by the project itself. Anyone can copy a name, a picture and a description in minutes. Nobody can copy a contract address.
We learned this first hand. On 19 September 2026 we found an impersonator of our own collection on OpenSea with a paid mint already running. This guide gives the five checks that would have caught it, shows what the fake looked like, and lists the wallet requests a mint should never ask for. Every fact below was checked on 4 October 2026.
Why are there fake collections on OpenSea at all?
Because anyone can create one. OpenSea describes itself in its reporting guide as a self-serve, peer-to-peer marketplace where anyone can create NFTs. That is why a copy of a popular name can appear within hours of the original getting attention.
OpenSea does act on copies. Its delisting policy lists a collection name too similar to that of an existing collection as a reason for removal. But removal happens after someone reports the copy. In the gap between a fake going up and coming down, the only protection is the person about to click Mint.
What happened to us: a real example
Our collection is called Ethernal Cubs - ORBS. When it was renamed to that, its OpenSea web address changed with it, and the shorter address it had before became free. Someone else took that address, used the project name and a lookalike logo, and opened a paid mint.
Here is the comparison, using our notes from the day we found it and what both pages show today.
We reported it and OpenSea removed it the same day. When we opened the old address on 4 October 2026 it showed a notice that the collection has been delisted for a suspected violation of the Terms of Service. One catch: the notice does not say which collection was removed, so someone arriving from an old link could think the real project was taken down. It was not. Also, a delisting removes a page from OpenSea, not a contract from the chain, so a copy can come back under a new address.
The lesson for buyers is in the table. The name matched. The logo nearly matched. The price, the supply and the contract did not.
Check 1: the contract address, not the name
Every NFT collection lives at one contract address on one chain. Two collections can share a name. They cannot share an address. So the strongest check is to get the contract address from the project and let it lead you to the collection, instead of typing the name into search.
Ours is 0x39c7cac949beeb899a412ac9f5e53a48d209acda on Robinhood Chain, chain ID 4663. We tested two ways to use it on 4 October 2026:
- Put the address into OpenSea's own address format,
opensea.io/assets/robinhood/followed by the contract. OpenSea redirected us to the real collection page, the one ending in ethernal-cubs-orbs. A fake cannot hijack that redirect, because it has a different contract. - Open the address on the Robinhood Chain block explorer and compare what the contract says about itself.
We also asked the contract directly through the chain's official RPC. It answered with the name Ethernal Cubs, the symbol E-Cubs, a maximum supply of 3,333 and a current supply of zero, because the mint has not opened. A fake can set the same name and symbol. The address is the proof.
Check 2: arrive from the project, not from search
Most people who land on a fake got there from a search box, a reply under a post, or a direct message. Start from the project's own website or its official X account instead, and follow the link from there. The real collection page links back as well: on 4 October 2026 the Ethernal Cubs - ORBS page listed https://ethernalcubs.icu/ and the X account @ethernalcubs as its links.
A link on a collection page proves little on its own, because a fake can point at the real website too. What counts is the other direction. Does the real website point at this collection? The copy cannot edit the original's site.
Check 3: do the price, supply and dates match?
Projects announce their numbers. A copy usually changes them, because the copy exists to collect money. Ours are simple: 3,333 Orbs, a mint price of zero, whitelisted wallets only, opening Thursday 29 October 2026 at 14:00 UTC. On 4 October 2026 the real page on OpenSea showed exactly that: 3,333 available items, a whitelist stage marked FREE, and a countdown instead of a live Mint button.
So a page under our name that asks for 0.11 ETH is not us. A page that is already minting before the announced date is not us. The same test works for any drop.
Check 4: what does the blue badge really tell you?
Less than most people assume. OpenSea's verification article says a badge on a collection means it belongs to a verified account and has significant interest or sales. The listed requirements include at least 50,000 dollars of total volume on a collection, and a collection with all of its items minted.
A collection that has not minted yet has no volume, so under those rules it cannot carry the collection badge, however genuine it is. A missing badge on a new mint is normal. A badge that is present is a good sign, but the same article adds that a badge does not guarantee anything and that you should always do your own research before transacting. For new collections, the contract check does the work the badge cannot.
Check 5: read what your wallet is asking for
The last check happens in the wallet, after you click. A mint is one transaction that gives you a new NFT. It has no reason to touch anything you already own. Refuse any of these:
- Your secret recovery phrase. No mint, marketplace, support agent or team member needs it. Anyone who asks is stealing.
- Set approval for all. The MetaMask guide to token approvals explains that this request lets another party manage all of your NFTs from a given contract. Marketplaces use it when you list an item for sale. A mint does not need it.
- Permission to spend your tokens. A free mint costs gas and nothing else. A request to approve spending of a token you hold, especially with no limit, does not belong in a free mint.
- A payment you did not expect. If the mint is announced as free and the wallet shows a price, close the window.
On Robinhood Chain the gas for a typical mint was about one cent when we measured it on 3 October. A free mint that shows a total far above that is asking for something more than gas.
How to report a fake collection
OpenSea's reporting guide gives the steps. Open the three-dot menu on the collection page, choose Report, and pick a reason. If you pick fake or misleading, you are asked for the original collection's name or contract address, which is one more reason to keep the real address at hand. You need to be signed in with a wallet to send a report.
Frequently asked questions
Is a collection without a blue badge a scam?
No. The requirements OpenSea lists for a badge include 50,000 dollars of volume and a fully minted collection, so new drops do not have one. Judge a new collection by its contract address and by whether the project's own site links to it.
I minted from a fake collection. What should I do?
Review the approvals your wallet has granted and revoke any you do not recognise. The MetaMask guide linked above describes where to review and revoke them. Revoking is a transaction, so it needs a little ETH for gas on the chain where the approval was given. Then report the collection to OpenSea and tell the real project. If you ever typed your recovery phrase into a site, revoking is not enough: move what you can to a new wallet.
Where is the real Ethernal Cubs collection?
At opensea.io/collection/ethernal-cubs-orbs, contract 0x39c7cac949beeb899a412ac9f5e53a48d209acda on Robinhood Chain. It is free to mint for whitelisted wallets from 29 October 2026 at 14:00 UTC, with 3,333 Orbs in total. The team never sends the first direct message, on any platform. If someone messages you with a mint link, it is not us.
New to the chain? Our step by step guide to minting on Robinhood Chain covers the wallet and the ETH you need, and the whitelist guide covers every way to earn a spot.
Ethernal Cubs is a customizable NFT game on Robinhood Chain, built by Proud Lion Studios. The one place to start, and the one link to trust, is https://ethernalcubs.icu/.