How to avoid getting scammed by fake "1inch Reward" websites

What is the fake "1inch Reward" website?

Our researchers discovered this fake "1inch Reward" site while investigating suspicious websites. This scam claims that users who contributed to the 1inch platform are eligible to receive rewards. Its purpose is to trick victims into exposing their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency wallet. It must be emphasized that this scam is not associated with the real 1inch (1inch.io).

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 "1inch Reward" website overview

We found this scam on app.lnchrewards[.]com, but different domains are possible. It is presented as the 1inch DeFi (Decentralized Finance) platform (1inch.io) offering various services like swapping tokens across any network, portfolio tracking tools, a wallet, and so on.

It must be stressed that the information provided by this fraudulent webpage is false, and the scam itself is in no way associated with the real 1inch platform or any other existing projects and entities.

This deceptive page promises 1INCH tokens to reward users who have contributed to the platform. When an attempt is made to connect a digital wallet to the scam site, the user unintentionally signs a malicious contract. It facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer that is designed to siphon assets from exposed cryptowallets.

These transactions are automated and may appear vague, so they can remain unnoticed for a long time. Drainers might be able to get rough estimates of stored digital asset worth and prioritize the theft of those with the highest value.

It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible due to their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "1inch Reward" website cannot recover the stolen funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"1inch Airdrop", "Usual Rewards", "Lombard Rewards", and "SafeMoon Community" are just some of our articles on drainers. In addition to using draining mechanisms, crypto scams often operate by phishing for wallet log-in credentials or deceiving victims into manually transferring digital assets to scammer-owned wallets.

While it is common for online scams to be poorly constructed and riddled with mistakes, that is not always the case. Scams can be competently made and even believably disguised as content associated with legitimate products, services, or entities. Therefore, we strongly recommend vigilance when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Malvertising – intrusive pop-up ads specifically – are widely used in cryptocurrency drainer promotion. Some of these adverts are fully functional drainers themselves; they lure users into "linking" cryptowallets by promising incredible benefits. It is worth mentioning that such advertisements have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been compromised.

Social media spam is also commonly used in cryptocurrency-targeting scam endorsement. These spam posts and direct/private messages can be made using accounts stolen from real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, etc.

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

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to ensuring your online safety. Therefore, be wary of sites, ads, and messages that make unbelievable promises or warn of severe threats. Take note of URLs and enter them attentively. Do not use pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized through rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit suspect pages to display browser notifications; ignore or deny their requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Do not open attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant emails or other messages, as they can be deceitful/malicious.

Download only from official/verified sources and be vigilant when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/dangerous 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 "1inch Reward" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official 1inch website (1inch.io):

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 "1inch Reward" 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?

Online scams are a type of Internet content that aims to deceive users into carrying out specific actions. For example, victims can be enticed into connecting wallets to drainers, making monetary transactions, providing sensitive data, downloading/installing software, buying products, subscribing to services, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private information, and distributing malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "1inch Reward" scam, can I get my money back?

No, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because they are practically untraceable. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "1inch Reward" site cannot recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are most commonly endorsed via spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media/ forum posts, SMSes, calls, etc.), websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, malvertising (intrusive adverts), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan visited sites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. It can also deny all further access to such websites.