Avoid getting scammed by fake X World Games websites

What kind of scam is "X World Games Airdrop"?

This "X World Games Airdrop" is a scam. It imitates the legitimate X World Games Web3-type blockchain gaming platform. The scheme claims that eligible users can participate in an XWG token and NFT (Non-Fungible Token) airdrop. However, once a digital wallet is exposed to this scam – a cryptocurrency-draining mechanism is triggered.

It is noteworthy that this fake airdrop has been promoted using a hacked X World Games account on the X (formerly Twitter) social media platform.

"X World Games Airdrop" scam overview

This scam mimics the design of the official X World Games Web3-type blockchain gaming platform. The real X World Games offers a cross-game and cross-play gaming infrastructure. Web3 gaming allows players to own and trade in-game assets. Some of the other services provided by X World Games include NFT staking, lending, and trading.

The fake X World Games website that we inspected did not quite use a typosquatting technique for disguising its domain (i.e., it did not rely on potential victims misspelling the site's URL). The official X World Games website is xwg.games, while the scam page used a fully spelled out legitimate-looking domain – xworldsgames[.]com. Keep in mind that this scheme could be hosted on other domains as well.

The scam in question claims to be running an airdrop, wherein users may be able to claim XWG tokens and NFTs. Users can check their eligibility for participation by connecting their cryptocurrency wallets. By doing so, victims expose their wallets to a crypto drainer.

To elaborate, a mechanism is initiated that transfers funds from exposed cryptowallets to those owned by cyber criminals. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and target them first. These automated transactions can appear vague on the victims' end, thus not raising immediate suspicion.

Victims of cryptocurrency-draining scams can lose most or all of the assets stored in the compromised digital wallets. Due to the nearly untraceable nature of these transactions – they cannot be reversed, and victims cannot retrieve their funds.

Threat Summary:

Name	"X World Games Airdrop" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Eligible users can participate in a XWG token and NFT airdrop.
Disguise	X World Games
Related Domains	xworldsgames[.]com
Detection Names (xworldsgames[.]com)	Emsisoft (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (xworldsgames[.]com)	172.67.212.184
Distribution methods	Social media spam, compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	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.

Cryptocurrency-centered scam examples

Venanco[.]com, Pacmoon Airdrop, weyshare[.]com, mrbeastgive[.]com, Illuminati Airdrop, xbirex[.]com, and VENOM Airdrop are just some examples of cryptocurrency-centered scams we have written about recently.

These schemes primarily operate in one of three ways: use crypto drainers to empty victims' wallets of digital assets, trick users into revealing their wallet log-in credentials by using various lures, or entice them into transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets by promising some benefit (e.g., doubled/tripled return, etc.).

The Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. While online scams are infamous for being riddled with errors, they may also be competently crafted and even believably disguised as content associated with legitimate companies, organizations, institutions, service providers, and other entities.

Due to how prevalent this material is on the Web and how well-made it can be – we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing.

How did I open a scam website?

The "X World Games Airdrop" scam was promoted through posts made using the official X World Games account on the X (more commonly known by its former name – Twitter) social media platform, which had been compromised.

Crypto scams are commonly endorsed using accounts stolen from genuine projects, organizations, companies, influencers, etc. However, other promotional methods may be used as well.

In general, online scams are pushed via attachments or links in spam (e.g., social media/ forum posts, PMs/DMs, emails, browser notifications, SMSes, etc.) or redirects generated by websites employing rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs (typosquatting), intrusive advertisements, and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

It is essential to be careful while browsing, as fake and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and harmless. For example, intrusive ads and spam browser notifications may look innocuous – yet redirect to unreliable and dubious sites (e.g., scam-promoting, gambling, adult dating, etc.).

We recommend paying attention to URLs and typing them carefully. Additionally, be selective about which webpages you allow to display browser notifications; do not enable suspect ones to do so, and instead ignore or deny notification delivery from them (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Another recommendation is to be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages. Do not open the attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful.

To prevent bundled/dangerous software from infiltrating the system – download only from official/trustworthy sources and treat installations with care (e.g., read terms, explore options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, features, etc.).

If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.

The appearance of "X World Games Airdrop" scam (GIF):

Screenshot of the stolen X World Games account promoting this scam:

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▼ 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 "X World Games Airdrop" crypto drainer?
• 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 an online scam?

The end goal of online scams is to generate revenue at victims' expense; this is achieved by tricking them into performing specific actions such as connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, disclosing sensitive information, making monetary transactions, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is profit. Cyber criminals may generate revenue by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and proliferating malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "X World Games Airdrop" scam, can I get my money back?

No, these transactions are irreversible due to their practically untraceable nature.

Why do I encounter online scams?

The "X World Games Airdrop" scam was promoted via posts made using a stolen X World Games account on the X (formerly Twitter) social media platform. Keep in mind that other promotional methods are possible. Online scams are commonly endorsed through spam (e.g., social media posts, emails, PMs/DMs, browser notifications, etc.), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), websites that utilize rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited sites for deceptive/malicious content. Should you enter such a website – you will be immediately warned, and further access to the page will be blocked.

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