How to identify fake airdrops like "$SCOTTY Claim"

What is the fake "$SCOTTY Claim" site?

We have inspected the claim.scotttytheai[.]org page and discovered that it is a copy of scottytheai[.]com. The purpose of claim.scotttytheai[.]org is to deceive visitors into performing actions leading to the theft of their cryptocurrency holdings. Overall, claim.scotttytheai[.]org is a scam website that should not be trusted.

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.

"$SCOTTY Claim" scam page in detail

Scotty AI (scottytheai[.]com) is a crypto project combining AI and blockchain to protect crypto secrets. This project includes Scotty Chat, Staking, and Scotty Swap features. The scam page (claim.scotttytheai[.]org) has a very similar design and offers users to claim $SCOTTY tokens. In other words, claim.scotttytheai[.]org hosts a fake airdrop (giveaway).

In order to participate in this "giveaway", users are instructed to connect their wallets. Connecting a wallet on claim.scotttytheai[.]org signs a malicious contract designed to activate a cryptocurrency drainer. This drainer steals cryptocurrency from wallets by transferring digital assets from the victim's wallet to the scammer's wallet.

Once cryptocurrency is siphoned, it is impossible to retrieve it due to the irreversibility of cryptocurrency transactions. Thus, victims who fall for scams like the fake airdrop on claim.scotttytheai[.]org lose their cryptocurrency holdings permanently.

It is strongly recommended to research crypto platforms thoroughly to avoid financial losses and other issues. If a platform seems suspicious, it is advisable not to transfer cryptocurrency to the provided addresses or connect wallets.

Threat Summary:

Name	Fake $SCOTTY Claim page
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Participants can receive $SCOTTY tokens for free
Disguise	Legitimate cryptocurrency airdrop (giveaway)
Related Domain	claim.scotttytheai.org
Detection Names (claim.scotttytheai[.]org)	alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Emsisoft (Phishing), Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Unofficial 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.
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Online scams in general

The number of scams resembling the fraudulent "$SCOTTY Claim" is increasing rapidly. Typically, these scams capitalize on the names of established platforms like Scotty The Ai to deceive users into connecting their wallets and signing malicious contracts. Additionally, these scam websites closely mimic the originals.

Examples of similar fraudulent schemes include the fake "MODE Airdrop", "LiquidEther Airdrop", and "Hyperliquid ($HYPE) Airdrop".

How did I open a scam website?

Fake pages intended to deceive users into activating cryptocurrency drainers are primarily promoted through hijacked social media accounts (mostly profiles belonging to celebrities or well-known companies) or compromised WordPress websites. Other tactics to lure users into visiting scam sites include creating misleading advertisements and sending emails containing deceptive links.

Additionally, users can encounter scam websites through pages associated with rogue advertising networks, such as torrent sites and illegal movie streaming websites, ads delivered by adware, and notifications from untrustworthy web pages.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Avoid opening links in emails or messages from unfamiliar senders, especially if they seem irrelevant. Download programs (and files) from reputable, official websites or app stores. Refrain from interacting with pop-ups, warnings, ads, download buttons, etc., when visiting suspicious sites. Do not agree to receive notifications from dubious sites.

Keep all apps and the operating system up to date, and utilize trusted security software for enhanced protection. 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 "$SCOTTY Claim" scam page (GIF):

Real web page (scottytheai.com):

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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 Fake $SCOTTY Claim page?
• 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 giveaway?

A fraudulent giveaway is a scam engineered to deceive individuals into thinking they will receive a reward (such as cryptocurrency or gift cards) for participating. However, users who fall for such scams never receive any rewards or prizes.

What is the purpose of a fake giveaway?

These cryptocurrency giveaways are typically crafted to obtain personal information or pilfer cryptocurrency. For instance, the counterfeit Mode $SCOTTY Claim site employs a cryptocurrency drainer to siphon cryptocurrency from unsuspecting victims.

Why do I encounter fake giveaways?

Fraudulent giveaways are encountered mainly through deceptive ads, links shared on social media from compromised accounts, hacked WordPress sites, phishing emails, adware (ads displayed by it), notifications from untrustworthy websites, and pages associated with rogue advertising networks.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scam websites?

Combo Cleaner conducts website scans to identify malicious ones, particularly those intended to deceive users. It promptly alerts users and limits access to such web pages.

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