How to spot scams like Collab Land pop-up scam

What kind of scam is "Collab Land" pop-up scam?

Our team has discovered this scam while examining reported online scams (this one was first reported by Mich). We learned that scammers behind it attempt to steal cryptocurrency wallets (obtain login credentials used to access them). They promote this scam by wriging private messages on Discord (and possibly other channels).

"Collab Land" pop-up scam in detail

Scammers seek to deceive users into providing login credentials by claiming they have a chance to mint NFTs and participate in giveaways. Their goal is to trick users into opening the provided website (a fake Collab.Land page) and following its instructions.

That website asks visitors to choose a cryptocurrency wallet and then provide a recovery phrase, wallet password, private key, and (or other) details used to access crypto wallets. Scammers use this scam to steal and drain wallets.

Threat Summary:

Name	Collab Land scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Users can mint NFT and participate in giveaways using the provided link
Disguise	Official Collab.Land website
Related Domain	syncmycollab[.]me
Detection Names (syncmycollab[.]me)	N/A (VirusTotal)
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.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Online scams in general

More examples of crypto-related scams are "WALLET SYNCING POP-UP Scam", "Coinbase POP-UP Scam", "NASA ETH and BTC Giveaway Scam". Usually, scammers behind them attempt to trick unsuspecting visitors into providing login credentials or transferring cryptocurrency to them. Either way, these scams have to be ignored and reported.

How did I open a scam website

Usually, websites delivering pop-up scams get opened after some deceptive advertisement, or fake "Download" button is clicked, or another untrustworthy page is visited. Either way, these websites rarely get opened on purpose. In other cases, scam websites are promoted using search engine poisoning techniques, website notifications, shady apps.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Do not click advertisements displayed on questionable websites or allow those pages to show notifications. Download apps and files from official websites and use direct links. Avoid using P2P networks, third-party downloaders, shady websites, etc., as sources for downloading apps or files.

Deselect unwanted apps before downloading or installing programs bundled with those apps. If your computer is already infected with unwanted apps, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

The appearance of "Collab Land" pop-up scam (GIF):

Collab Land pop-up scam promoted on Discord (via private messages):

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner 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 Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Collab Land scam?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a pop-up scam?

A pop-up scam is a deceptive message (for example, virus or error notification) designed to trick visitors into performing certain actions.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Scammers use pop-up scams to trick visitors into executing malware, providing remote access to computers, entering sensitive information, transferring money, and other purposes.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

These scams are delivered by websites that are promoted using shady applications, other websites, advertisements. In other cases, scammers use search engine poisoning techniques, fake "Download" buttons, website notifications to promote their scams.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect malicious ones, including websites that display pop-up scams. It warns users about untrustworthy websites and restricts access to them.

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