How to identify fake Ethereum (ETH) reward programs

What kind of scam is "Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program"?

During a routine investigative session, our researchers discovered this "Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" scam. The deceptive webpage claims that users who contribute at least 0.5 ETH will receive twice the amount. It must be emphasized that victims of this scam will not get any return and merely lose all the cryptocurrency sent to the scammers.

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.

"Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" scam overview

The scam website's initial page promotes a rewards event allocating 100,000 ETH (Ethereum cryptocurrency). The bottom of the webpage contains a link that redirects to the site's main page. It states that if a user sends 0.5 to 200 ETH to the provided address, they will receive double the amount back (1-400 ETH).

At the time of writing, the contributable amounts are worth 970 and 387,000 USD (keep in mind that exchange rates fluctuate). There is also a bonus of a matching percentage for those who send 10, 20, 40, 100, or 200 ETH (e.g., 10 ETH contributed will net 20 ETH and a 20% bonus).

As mentioned in the introduction, all the claims made by this website are false, and this scam is in no way associated with any real public figures or legitimate entities. Hence, the cryptocurrency sent to the cryptowallet address on this page will be lost, and victims will receive no amount back.

It is also worth mentioning that this financial loss is irretrievable, as cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" site cannot recover the stolen digital assets.

Cryptocurrency-targeting scam examples

Typically, cryptocurrency-specific scams operate in one of three ways – by deceiving users into sending funds to scammer-owned wallets, using draining mechanisms to siphon assets from exposed wallets, or phishing for wallet log-in credentials.

Online scams are often poorly put together, but they can be competently crafted and even convincingly disguised as content associated with legitimate entities.

"Chailink Treasury Reward", "Haedal Airdrop", "TON Guard", "PIJSwap Voting", "$TRUMP Token Distribution", "Beefy ($BIFI) Rewards", and "Morpho Voting" are just some of our latest articles on scams that target cryptocurrency.

How did I open a scam website?

"Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" scam has been promoted through social media spam – deceptive X posts (more commonly referred to as "tweets" on the platform formerly named Twitter)

It is noteworthy that spam posts and direct/private messages (PMs/DMs) can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, etc. If the endorsed scam aligns with the content ordinarily posted by the account – this creates an incredible impression of legitimacy.

However, other endorsement techniques are not unlikely. Generally, online scams are promoted via websites using rogue advertising networks, various types of spam (e.g., emails, forum posts, browser notifications, cold calls/ robocalls, SMSes, etc.), malvertising (intrusive ads), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, advertisements, and communications making promises that sound too good to be true. Take note of URLs and type them attentively. Do not use sites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized through rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit dubious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or block their notification requests. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/trustworthy sources and be careful when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful 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.

Screenshot of "Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" scam's initial page:

Appearance of the "Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" scam (GIF):

Screenshots of X posts (tweets) promoting "Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" scam website?
• 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?

Online scams are a type of Web content that aims to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be lured into making monetary transactions, connecting wallets to crypto drainers, disclosing vulnerable information, buying products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing software, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. They may profit by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), abusing/selling private data, and proliferating malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" scam, can I get my money back?

No, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like "Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" cannot recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

"Ethereum (ETH) Reward Program" has been promoted through spam posts on X (tweets on Twitter). Other endorsement methods are not unlikely. Online scams are primarily promoted via spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, SMSes, calls, browser notifications, etc.), webpages that use rogue advertising networks, intrusive adverts (malvertising), mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for deceptive/malicious content. Therefore, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be denied.