Avoid getting scammed by fake "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" sites

What is a fake "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" website?

After inspecting this "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" airdrop, we determined that it is fake. The scheme imitates the Avail network (availproject.org) running a giveaway. This scam – availprojectorg[.]xyz (could be hosted elsewhere) – operates as a cryptocurrency drainer. It steals funds from compromised wallets.

It must be stressed that this "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" scheme is not associated with the real Avail platform or any other websites or entities.

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.

Fake "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" website overview

This fake "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" event impersonates Avail – a platform that connects multiple different blockchain ecosystems. The site we found this scheme promoted on – availprojectorg[.]xyz – bore significant similarities to Avail's actual domain, which is availproject.org. Keep in mind that this scam could be hosted on others as well.

It must be reiterated that this bogus giveaway is not linked to the real Avail network or any other existing platforms or entities.

Once an attempt is made to claim the rewards promised by this scam, it prompts to link a digital wallet. Doing so, executes scripts that drain funds from exposed wallets. Some crypto drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and target them first.

These transactions can appear vague and not raise immediate suspicion. Additionally, they cannot be reversed due to the practically untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions. Hence, victims of scams like "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" cannot retrieve their assets.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" crypto drainer scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Airdrop on the Avail platform.
Related Domains	availprojectorg[.]xyz
Detection Names	Trustwave (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.67.145.21
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, social media spam, 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 drainer scam examples

"LiquidEther Airdrop", "$SCOTTY Claim", "MODE Airdrop", and "Floki Airdrop" are merely some of our latest articles on crypto drainers.

Various false claims are used to lure users into trusting scams, e.g., airdrops/giveaways, new token/coin promotions, wallet/account issues, suspicious activity detection, security updates, etc.

Online scams can be shoddily put together and riddled with grammatical/spelling errors. Yet they can also be competently crafted, and some even perfectly copy genuine sites.

How did I open a scam website?

In general, online scams are promoted via webpages using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, browser notifications, social media posts, etc.), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), malvertising (intrusive advertisements), and adware.

Cryptocurrency drainer scams are commonly endorsed through intrusive pop-up ads. Some are fully operational drainers themselves; they entice users into connecting cryptowallets by promising various boons. It is noteworthy that these pop-ups have been encountered on legitimate websites that had been compromised.

Social media spam is also prevalent in cryptocurrency-specific scam promotion, especially on X (formerly Twitter). Promotional posts and direct/private messages can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., originally belonging to real celebrities, influences, projects, companies, etc.); thus, they appear quite convincing.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We strongly recommend exercising caution while browsing since fraudulent and malicious online content usually appears genuine and harmless. For example, while intrusive ads and spam browser notifications may look innocuous – they redirect to highly questionable websites (e.g., scam-promoting, gambling, pornography, etc.).

Therefore, be selective when clicking ads and allowing pages to deliver browser notifications. Do not permit suspicious sites to do so; instead, ignore or deny such requests (i.e., by clicking "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Additionally, take note of URLs and type them carefully. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments/links found in suspicious mail.

Do not use websites offering pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are typically monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Download only from official/verified channels and treat installations with care (e.g., study times and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software (like adware) from infiltrating the device.

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

Appearance of the fake "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" site (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Avail website (availproject.org):

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 "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" crypto drainer 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 an online scam?

It is a type of deceptive content hosted on the Web. Online scams aim to deceive users into performing certain actions, such as linking digital wallets to crypto drainers, making monetary transactions, disclosing sensitive information, buying products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing programs, calling fake support lines, allowing cyber criminals to access devices remotely, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

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

I have lost digital assets to the "Claim Your AVAIL Rewards" scam, can I get my money back?

These transactions cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature.

Why do I encounter online scams?

The most widespread promotional methods include: spam (e.g., PMs/DMs, social media posts, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, typosquatting (misspelled URLs), intrusive ads, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited webpages and detect ones hosting deceptive/malicious content. Therefore, should you happen upon such a website – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be denied.

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