My advice To avoid fraud in ICO projects Check team background, look for transparency, work experience and signs of their emotional maturity. if there is a lack of business experience in the core team, how they will overcome difficulties or big fund raises (emotional maturity is needed here ).
There must be a definite 'need' that is fulfilled, the market with solutions and ideally long-term vision must be clear and profitable. Read their whitepapers carefully, see the roadmap and check the currency industry and Blockchain addressed.
I agree but even then scammers are well on top on their game and use stock photos to show faces and add names of the "team" as well as using fake social media. This is a sad fact.
As an experience scammer you would really be meticulous on this stuffs since you are trying hard to convince the public and do deceived their naked eyes on the true purpose. Using stock photos and name would only work on the first attempt of scamming but if people are already aware on those names or images then they are already alarmed and they do already know on the thing they should do.