What Is A Testnet? And How To Avoid Testnet Scam?

What is a Testnet?
A testnet is an alternative blockchain that can be used for testing. Unlike real coins, testnet coins have no monetary value. This allows application developers or testers to experiment without spending precious coins. Simply put, a testnet is a parallel network for testing purposes.
The Bitcoin blockchain is called Livenet and is completely separate from the testnet. This article will take Bitcoin as the main coin. However, this article covers all coins that have a testnet network.
Although similar, testnet and livenet are not compatible. This means you cannot use real coins on the testnet and you cannot use testnet coins on the livenet network.

How can I tell the difference between a test network and a live network?
The easiest way to tell the difference between a testnet (which has no value and is only used for testing) and a live network (which has cash value) is to look at the addresses. Bitcoin Testnet addresses all start with m or n, Bitcoin Livenet addresses all start with 1 or 3 or bc1,
Bitcoin Cash addresses start with bitcoincash: and p or q. Bitcoin Cash testnet addresses start with bchtest. You cannot send testnet bitcoin to a livenet bitcoin address or send livenet bitcoin to a testnet address.
For Ethereum and Ripple, the address formats do not change. This means that there is no way to tell if an address is testnet or livenet.
Testnet = Play Money (no monetary value)
Livenet = real money

How do you avoid testnet scams​?
Buying Bitcoin from someone is a common way to enter the world of cryptocurrencies. We recommend that you exercise caution and conduct transactions of this kind with people you completely trust. However, it is not always realistic to know who is buying cryptocurrency.
If you are looking to buy cryptocurrencies, we recommend finding a trustworthy cryptocurrency exchange. One of the top exchanges is coinbase. The BitPay app is integrated with Coinbase so you can buy bitcoins and transfer them to your wallet.
To avoid being scammed by testnet wallets, follow these recommendations:
- When purchasing cryptocurrencies, make sure the wallet receiving the funds is not a testnet wallet.
- When buying cryptocurrencies, beware of those who offer cryptocurrencies at prices that are too high or far below the current market price.
-Do not let other people create your wallet. They may want to create a testnet wallet and send you testnet coins that have no monetary value. You can also create a multisig wallet and send funds to another wallet that you do not control.
If someone asks you to create a testnet wallet to send money, they are trying to scam you. Well, now you are aware of "what is a testnet?", and "how to avoid testnet scam?". I wish you the best in your crypto journey.