How to identify fake Haedal airdrop sites

What is the fake "Haedal Airdrop"?

Our researchers discovered this fake "Haedal Airdrop" while investigating untrustworthy websites. It masquerades as the Haedal platform (haedal.xyz). Victims are lured by this scam into exposing their cryptowallets to a cryptocurrency drainer with the promise of an airdrop.

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 "Haedal Airdrop" overview

This scam is an incredibly close visual copy of Haedal (haedal.xyz) – a liquid staking protocol built on the Sui blockchain. We discovered this scam on haedal-airdrop[.]xyz, yet it could also be hosted on other domains. It must be stressed that this HAEDAL token airdrop is fake, and it is in no way associated with Haedal or any other existing platforms and entities.

When a user tries to check their eligibility for the airdrop, they are prompted to connect their digital wallet. Doing so essentially signs a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. Thus, the siphoning of victims' funds begins through automated (and possibly vague-looking) transactions.

Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize stealing those of the highest worth. It must be mentioned that due to the nearly untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Haedal Airdrop" cannot retrieve the stolen assets.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"TON Guard", "PIJSwap Voting", "$TRUMP Token Distribution", and "Beefy ($BIFI) Rewards" mainly some of our newest articles on drainers. Aside from using draining mechanisms, crypto-specific scams commonly operate by phishing for wallet log-in credentials or by tricking users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

The Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. Online scams are often poorly made and riddled with mistakes, but they can be competently put together and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate websites. Therefore, we strongly advise vigilance when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are commonly promoted through intrusive pop-up advertisements (malvertising). These pop-ups may be capable of executing draining mechanisms themselves; they lure users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising various benefits. It is noteworthy that these adverts have been encountered on genuine sites that had been hacked.

Social media spam is another prevalent promotional technique. These spam posts and direct/private messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, etc. If the endorsed scam aligns with the content ordinarily posted by the account – it creates an incredible impression of legitimacy.

Other promotional methods are not unlikely. Aside from the previously mentioned techniques, online scams are endorsed via different types of spam (e.g., forum posts, emails, browser notifications, robocalls/ cold calls, SMSes, etc.), websites that use rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, ads, and communications that make unbelievable promises or warnings of severe threats. Take note of URLs and type them carefully. Do not use sites offering pirated programs/media or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized through rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit questionable pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or block their requests. Be careful with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links present in suspect/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/trustworthy sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., read terms, explore options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software (like adware) from infiltrating the system.

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 "Haedal Airdrop" (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Haedal website (haedal.xyz):

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:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Haedal 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?

An online scam is a type of Internet content that aims to deceive users into performing certain actions. To elaborate, victims can be tricked into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, providing sensitive information, purchasing products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing programs, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. They may profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content, abusing/selling private information, and spreading malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically traceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Haedal Airdrop" cannot retrieve their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are primarily encountered via websites using rogue advertising networks, intrusive advertisements (malvertising), spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, SMSes, calls, browser notifications, etc.), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan every single website that you visit for deceptive/malicious content. Should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to the site will be denied.