How to avoid scams like "Symbiotic Participation Award"

What is the fake "Symbiotic Participation Award" site?

Our analysis of the page (ailocations-symbioticfi[.]com) has shown that it mimics the original Symbiotic website (symbiotic.fi). The fake site is intended to steal cryptocurrency from unsuspecting individuals. Users should be careful when landing on such sites and avoid interacting with them.

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.

"Symbiotic Participation Award" scam in detail

Symbiotic (symbiotic.fi) is a shared security protocol that links stakers with networks in need of security. It creates a marketplace where staked assets can be distributed across multiple networks, allowing stakers to earn more and networks to gain the protection they require.

Scammers have created a fake site, closely resembling the original one, to trick users into registering for the "early mainnet participant award". Clicking the "Register" button on the fake site leads to a request to connect a wallet, which activates a cryptocurrency drainer.

A cryptocurrency drainer is a malicious tool that automatically transfers cryptocurrency holdings from the victim's wallet to the scammer's. Cryptocurrency lost to scams is typically unrecoverable, as blockchain transactions cannot be reversed. Consequently, individuals who fall victim to such fraudulent schemes often experience permanent financial losses.

Users are strongly advised to inspect any cryptocurrency-related platform before connecting their wallets or performing other steps.

Conclusion

Fake websites that closely mimic legitimate platforms are a common tactic used to deceive victims into unknowingly taking actions benefiting scammers. Once funds are drained from a wallet, recovery is virtually impossible due to the irreversible nature of blockchain technology. Exercising caution and performing due diligence is essential to protecting digital assets from fraud.

Some examples of other fake platforms designed to lure users into activating a cryptocurrency drainer are "Wall Street Pepe ($WEPE) Airdrop", "$MOG Coin Airdrop", and "HyperLend Vote Rewards".

How did I open a scam website?

Scams that use crypto drainers to steal cryptocurrency from victims are commonly promoted through social media (mostly through fake or stolen X/Twitter accounts) or hijacked WordPress websites. It is also popular for scam websites to be spread via email (emails containing fraudulent links or attachments).

Moreover, scammers can use deceptive advertisements on shady pages, notifications from unreliable websites, and platforms that use rogue advertising networks (e.g., torrent sites or illegal movie streaming pages) to trick users into opening scam pages. Sometimes, users may land on such sites via ads generated by installed adware.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Avoid granting notification permissions to questionable, suspicious websites, and do not interact with pop-ups, advertisements, or links on pages of this kind. Do not click on links or open attachments included in unsolicited emails or messages received through social media, especially if the sender is unknown or appears suspicious.

Only download software from official sources or reputable app stores. Use trusted security software, ensure your operating system and applications are kept up to date, and perform regular security scans to detect potential threats. 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 "Symbiotic Participation Award" scam website (GIF):

The official Symbiotic website (symbiotic.fi):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Symbiotic Participation Award 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 a crypto scam?

These scams are designed to trick users into taking actions that benefit the scammers financially. They often lure victims with enticing promises such as free tokens.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

Typically, scammers aim to steal personal information and (or) cryptocurrency from victims.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Scam websites are often spread through fake or compromised social media accounts, hijacked websites, and fraudulent emails. Scammers also rely on deceptive ads, browser notifications, and rogue advertising networks to lure users to scam pages. Sometimes, adware on a user's device may generate ads to promote scams.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scam sites?

Combo Cleaner analyzes websites for potential threats, detects malicious or deceptive content, and actively blocks access to dangerous or misleading pages. This helps safeguard users against online scams, phishing attempts, and various other security risks while browsing.