How to recognize fake "Earn GolfN" websites

What is the fake "Earn GolfN" website?

While investigating suspicious sites, our researchers discovered this fake "Earn GolfN" webpage. It imitates the official GolfN website (golfn.com). The purpose of this fraudulent page is to deceive users into exposing their digital wallets to a crypto drainer.

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 "Earn GolfN" website overview

We discovered this scam on portal.g0lfn[.]com – however, it could be hosted on other domains as well. This webpage impersonates GolfN (golfn.com). GolfN is a type of blockchain game, specifically a Play-to-Earn (P2E) game, which aims to incorporate traditional golf gameplay into the Web3 ecosystem by offering digital rewards for golfing achievements.

It must be emphasized that this scam page is not associated with the real GolfN or any other existing projects, platforms, or entities.

Once a cryptowallet is "connected" to the fake site – the action signs a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. Basically, a mechanism is triggered that steals the victim's digital assets via automated transactions.

This activity might appear vague, so the transactions may remain unnoticed for a long time. Drainers may be capable of approximating the value of these assets and determining which to steal first.

It is worth mentioning that cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because they are nearly untraceable. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Earn GolfN" page cannot recover the stolen funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"HyperSwap ($SWAP) Airdrop", "Trump Coin Airdrop", "AMLBot Crypto Checking", and "SoSoValue Airdrop" are merely some of our newest articles on cryptocurrency drainers.

Scams that target these digital assets typically do so in one of three ways – by employing draining mechanisms to siphon funds from exposed wallets, phishing for log-in credentials, or tricking users into making manual transfers to scammer-owned wallets.

While online scams are often poorly made and riddled with various mistakes, they can be competently crafted and even convincingly disguised as content associated with legitimate entities (e.g., companies, corporations, organizations, etc.). Therefore, we strongly advise vigilance when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

One prevalent promotional technique for crypto drainers is malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up advertisements. These pop-ups may be fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "linking" digital wallets by promising incredible boons. It is noteworthy that such ads have been encountered on legitimate websites that had been compromised.

Social media spam is another common method for promoting cryptocurrency scams. These posts and direct/private messages can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real projects, companies, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, etc.).

However, other endorsement techniques are not unlikely. Aside from those previously mentioned, online scams are promoted via sites that use rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., forum posts, emails, browser notifications, cold calls/ robocalls, SMSes, etc.), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, advertisements, and communications that make unbelievable promises or warn about severe threats. Do not use sites offering pirated software/media or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are typically monetized through rogue advertising networks.

Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Do not permit suspect pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or block their notification requests. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/verified sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., read terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, features, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful 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 "Earn GolfN" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official GolfN website (golfn.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Earn GolfN" 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 performing specific actions. To elaborate, victims of these scams can be tricked into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing private information, downloading/installing programs, buying products, subscribing to services, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. These scammers primarily profit by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive data, and proliferating malware.

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

No, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Earn GolfN" webpage cannot recover the stolen assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are most commonly encountered via spam (e.g., social media posts, PMs/DMs, emails, browser notifications, SMSes, calls, etc.), websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads (malvertising), mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

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