How to spot fake sites like the "RedStone Community Vote" page

What is the fake "RedStone Community Vote" site?

We have analyzed the vote.redstonecoin[.]network website and found that it hosts a crypto-related scam. The purpose of this deceptive page is to steal cryptocurrency assets from unsuspecting users. It is important to note that vote.redstonecoin[.]network is a copy of the real site, redstone[.]finance.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not review crypto projects, please do your own research when investing money.

Federal Trade Comission (FTC) states that since the start of 2021, more than 46,000 people have reported losing over $1 billion in crypto to scams – that's about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method.

"RedStone Community Vote" in detail

RedStone is a project that acts as a source of trustworthy and constantly updated data feeds for decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts, accessible across various layer 1 (L1) and layer 2 (L2) blockchain networks. The real website of this project is redstone[.]finance.

Vote.redstonecoin[.]network (the fake site) closely resembles the original website. On this deceptive page, users are encouraged to vote on allocation criteria and farming concept for the $STONE season 2 claim. Furthermore, potential victims are tempted with an offer to receive 1.5x allocation if they vote within the next 12 hours.

Clicking the "Vote Now" button triggers a request to connect a wallet. However, connecting a wallet on vote.redstonecoin[.]network signs a malicious contract. Upon signing this contract, a cryptocurrency drainer is activated designed to steal cryptocurrency from victims. Once active, this drainer transfers cryptocurrency from the victim's wallet to the scammer's.

Users should be careful with platforms offering free cryptocurrency or high returns and requesting personal information or investments. It is important to be sure of the legitimacy of such platforms to avoid monetary loss or similar issues. Once scammers steal cryptocurrency, there is no way to retrieve it, as crypto transactions are irreversible.

Threat Summary:

Name	Fake RedStone Community Vote platform
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Participants can receive cryptocurrency for free
Disguise	Legitimate RedStone website
Related Domain	vote.redstonecoin[.]network
Detection Names	Combo Cleaner (Malware), CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), G-Data (Malware), Seclookup (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Incorrect domain, lack of official verification, unrealistic claims, too good-to-be-true promises.
Distribution methods	Compromised social media accounts, hijacked WordPress sites, rogue online pop-up ads, phishing emails, 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 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.

Conclusion

Vote.redstonecoin[.]network exemplifies the numerous deceptive pages that lure visitors with the allure of a cryptocurrency giveaway or rewards. The purpose of pages similar to vote.redstonecoin[.]network is to trick users into activating a cryptocurrency drainer through a malicious contract. Commonly, fake pages exploit genuine platforms, often adopting similar designs and domains.

Examples of similar scams are the fake "BRETT Airdrop", "Crypdrops Airdrops", and "Toncoin (TON) Airdrop".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers promote pages such as vote.redstonecoin[.]network through hijacked WordPress pages or social media accounts, often belonging celebrities or well-known companies. They also use deceptive emails, misleading advertisements, adware-type apps, notifications originating from shady pages, and similar channels to promote their scams.

Also, users can encounter scam websites while visiting torrent sites, illegal movie streaming pages, and similar sites that use rogue advertising networks. Mistyping URLs can also lead to scams.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Avoid opening links or attachments in unexpected emails from unknown senders. Do not agree to receive notifications from questionable pages or interact with ads, pop-ups, banners, coupons, etc., on websites of this kind. Use official websites and app stores as sources for downloading apps and files.

Regularly scan your computer for unwanted and malicious programs. Keep all apps and the operating system up to date. 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 the fake "RedStone Community Vote" page (GIF):

Real website (redstone[.]finance):

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 Fake RedStone Community Vote platform?
• 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 fake crypto airdrop?

It is a fake cryptocurrency giveaway. Typically, these scams are designed to trick participants into providing personal information (connecting their wallets) or sending cryptocurrency.

Is it possible to retrieve lost crypto funds?

It is rarely possible to recover cryptocurrency lost due to scams. Such transactions are irreversible.

Why do I encounter crypto scams?

Scammers use hijacked social media accounts, compromised WordPress pages, and phishing emails to lure users into landing on scam pages. They also leverage deceptive advertisements and platforms such as torrent sites, which use untrustworthy advertising networks to promote fraudulent pages.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner examines websites, flagging untrustworthy ones, including those hosting scams. When it detects such a site, the application immediately alerts the user and blocks access to the suspicious website.

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