Avoid getting scammed by sites offering free items for Among Us
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
"Among Us Free Items" scam removal instructions
What is the "Among Us Free Items" scam?
"Among Us Free Items" refers to a scam run on various deceptive websites. This scheme is presented as a service, which can be used to obtain free content for the Among Us - online multiplayer social deduction game, developed the InnerSloth game studio. Supposedly, users can obtain skins, hats, pets and other items for the game. However, instead of getting the promised content - users are presented with false information, intended to abuse their trust. Victims may be redirected to phishing webpages and/or to other untrustworthy/malicious sites. It must be emphasized that this scam is in no way associated with the InnerSloth game studio. Deceptive websites can be accessed unintentionally via redirects caused by intrusive advertisements or by PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications), already infiltrated into the system.
After users select the content they wish to acquire from the "Among Us Free Items", the scam goes through a fake verification process. Once it is complete, they are presented with a message, stating "We have detected suspicious activity on your account! You need to verify your account!" (or one claiming something to that effect). Then users may be asked to provide the full log-in credentials of their Among Us accounts, which means that in addition to providing their username (which is necessary to obtain the "free items") - they must reveal their account passwords. Thereby, allowing the scammers access to their Among Us accounts and losing them as a result. However, such scams may be used for a variety of heinous purposes. For example, to secure their accounts - victims can be told that they must install some kind of updates, tools or applications. By trusting these schemes, users can inadvertently infect their systems with various PUAs and even malware (e.g. trojans, ransomware, etc.). Online scams are also often used to promote other unreliable and dangerous sites, e.g. sale-oriented/promotional (of both legitimate and harmful content), rogue, compromised and malicious websites. To summarize, by trusting the "Among Us Free Items" scam, users may have their Among Us accounts stolen, experience system infections, financial losses, severe privacy issues and even identity theft.
As mentioned in the introduction, deceptive pages can be force-opened by PUAs. However, these applications can have varied functionalities and these features can be in different combinations. Adware-types run intrusive advertisement campaigns, i.e. deliver various pop-ups, banners, coupons and other ads. The delivered adverts diminish the browsing quality and when they are clicked on - redirect to hazardous sites and some can even stealthily download/install software. Browser hijackers are another type of PUA, they operate by making modifications to browser settings and restricting/denying access to them - in order to promote fake search engines. The promoted web searching tools are usually unable to provide search results, so they redirect to Google, Bing, Yahoo and other genuine search engines. What is more, most PUAs (regardless of type) can track data. They monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather personal information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). The collected data is then shared with and/or sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), seeking to likewise misuse it for profit. To ensure device integrity and user safety, all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be removed without delay.
Name | Among Us Free Items scam website |
Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
Fake Claim | Scam offers free items for the Among Us online game |
Related Domains | amonguspromo[.]com |
Serving IP Address (amonguspromo[.]com) | 77.81.121.113 |
Symptoms | Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan. |
Distribution methods | Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications. |
Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections. |
Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Malwarebytes. |
The Internet is rife with various deceptive websites, designed to abuse users' trust in different ways. Popular scam models include (but are not limited to): warnings that the device is infected or at risk, alerts that an essential piece of software is outdated or missing, fake prize/content giveaways and raffles, ludicrous offers and deals, etc. "TikTok Verified Badge Generator", "BTC giveaway", "Double Your Bitcoins", "Fortnite Hack Generator", "PUBG hack" are just some examples of online scams similar to "Among Us Free Items". Despite what such schemes offer, claim, request or demand, the end-goal is always the same - to generate revenue for the scammers / cyber criminals behind them. Therefore, it is strongly advised to exercise caution when browsing.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
Select PUAs have "official" promotional webpages, which are often promoted by deceptive/scam ones. These applications can also be downloaded/installed together with other software. This deceptive marketing technique of packing regular programs with unwanted or malicious additions - is called "bundling". Rushed download/installation processes (e.g. ignored terms, skipped steps and sections, used pre-set options, etc.) increase the risk of unintentionally allowing bundled content into the system. Upon being clicked, intrusive ads can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without user consent.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
It is recommended to research software products before download/installation and/or purchase. Only official and verified download channels must be used. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders - are deemed to be untrustworthy, due to commonly offer harmful and/or bundled content. When downloading/installing, it is important to read terms, explore all possible options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings and opt-out from additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive advertisements appear legitimate, however they redirect to unreliable and questionable sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.). In case of encounters with adverts and/or redirects of this kind, the system must be inspected and all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins detected - immediately removed from it. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Malwarebytes for Windows to automatically eliminate them.
The appearance of "Among Us Free Items" scam (GIF):
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Malwarebytes is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Malwarebytes
By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Malwarebytes. 14 days free trial available.
Quick menu:
- What is "Among Us Free Items"?
- STEP 1. Uninstall deceptive applications using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Google Chrome.
- STEP 3. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 4. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
- STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
- STEP 6. Remove adware from Internet Explorer.
Removal of potentially unwanted applications:
Windows 7 users:
Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.
Windows XP users:
Click Start, choose Settings and click Control Panel. Locate and click Add or Remove Programs.
Windows 10 and Windows 8 users:
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.
Mac OSX users:
Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
In the uninstall programs window, look for any suspicious/recently-installed applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted application, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Remove rogue extensions from Internet browsers:
Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and remove them.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the among us free items scam website, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions", in the opened window remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with among us free items scam website removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....
In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.
Optional method:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:
Click the Edge menu icon (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the among us free items scam website, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
- If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.
Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently-installed suspicious browser extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the among us free items scam website, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Summary:
Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.
Removal assistance:
If you are experiencing problems while trying to remove among us free items scam website from your computer, please ask for assistance in our malware support forum.
Post a comment:
If you have additional information on among us free items scam website or it's removal please share your knowledge in the comments section below.
Click to post a comment