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Unsellable-token scams#

Last modified: August 10, 2026

An unsellable-token scam — commonly called a honeypot — lets you buy a token but blocks or destroys your ability to sell it. The pool can look active and the chart can rise while the token contract quietly grants selected addresses different transfer rights.

What it looks like#

You buy TOKEN. The price chart keeps rising because almost no ordinary holder can sell, so there is little sell pressure. You try to sell 100 TOKEN and every attempt reverts, even after raising slippage. On-chain, the contract permits only the creator's wallet to sell; everyone else is trapped. The “gains” on the chart were never realistically available to you.

How the trap works#

A malicious or highly restrictive token can use:

  • A trading switch that enables buys but not ordinary sells.
  • Allowlist or blacklist rules controlled by an administrator.
  • Different behavior when the recipient is a pool.
  • Transfer deductions that make a sell fail or return almost nothing.
  • Maximum amounts, cooldowns, or per-address limits.
  • Upgradeable logic that changes after liquidity is added.
  • Fake ownership renunciation while another privileged role remains.
  • Small successful sells for selected wallets to make the market look legitimate.
  • A 100% sell fee that technically allows a sale but sends all value away from you.

The token may also pair these rules with thin or temporary liquidity. A visible lock or large displayed balance does not prove that ordinary holders can exit.

Checks before buying#

  1. Verify the Centurion token contract address from independent sources.
  2. Review verified source code, proxy controls, privileged roles, and transfer logic where available.
  3. Check whether different addresses can buy and sell, not only the deployer or promoters.
  4. Examine liquidity depth, active v3 ranges, and recent transaction patterns.
  5. Read CenturionDEX warnings and wallet simulation.
  6. Use only an amount you can afford to lose when information is incomplete.
  7. Cancel if the token requires an unexplained approval, external claim, or custom “unlock” transaction.

Automated scanners can miss owner-controlled changes, proxy upgrades, address-specific behavior, and novel restrictions. A green score is not a guarantee.

Signs you may be affected#

  • Every sell reverts despite increasing slippage tolerance.
  • A tiny sell works but a normal amount fails.
  • Wallet-to-wallet transfers work while pool transfers do not.
  • The token balance changes unexpectedly.
  • The owner announces a required tax, migration, or verification payment.
  • Only designated addresses appear able to sell.
  • You can sell, but the output is zero or far below the quoted amount because of a sell fee.

Do not repeatedly raise slippage. Slippage cannot override contract restrictions and exposes you to worse execution if a trade finally succeeds.

What to do#

Preserve transaction hashes, contract addresses, error messages, and promotional claims. Revoke unnecessary approvals and stop interacting with related sites. Report the token and accounts through official Centurion channels and appropriate platforms or authorities.

No support agent can force a malicious contract to permit a sale. Do not pay a recovery service or sign a “whitelist” transaction from a stranger.

Stay safe#

Never share a recovery phrase, private key, or password. Verify every token and wallet request, and remember that permissionless pool creation is not an endorsement by Centurion Labs.

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