How to avoid getting scammed by fake "THENA" websites

What is the fake "THENA" website?

While investigating suspicious sites, our researchers discovered this fake "THENA" webpage (thenaflnonce[.]org; possibly other domains). The goal of this scam page is to deceive users into exposing their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer. It must be emphasized that this fraudulent webpage is not associated with the actual THENA platform (thena.fi).

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 "THENA" website overview

We found this scam on thenaflnonce[.]org, but it could also be hosted on different domains. It closely imitates the official THENA website (thena.fi). THENA is a decentralized exchange built on the BNB Chain; it offers token swapping, governance participation, and reward earning via staking and liquidity mining.

It must be reiterated that this scam page is not associated with the real THENA exchange platform or any other existing projects or entities.

Connecting a cryptowallet to the webpage signs a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, the victim's funds are transferred to scammer-owned wallets through automated transactions. This activity may look vague, so it can remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time. Some drainers can approximate the worth of digital assets and prioritize stealing those of the highest value.

It is pertinent to mention that cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "THENA" website cannot recover the stolen assets.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

Fake "Ramses Exchange" website, "Destra Network Airdrop", "Grass Airdrop", fake "Camelot Exchange" website, and "Earn GolfN" are merely some of our latest articles on drainers. Aside from using draining mechanisms, crypto scams commonly operate by phishing for wallet log-in credentials or tricking users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

While online scams are often poorly constructed and riddled with mistakes, this is not always the case. They can be competently made and even believably disguised as content associated with legitimate projects, companies, organizations, or other entities.

How did I open a scam website?

Drainers are commonly endorsed via intrusive pop-up advertisements (malvertising). Some of the pop-ups are fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "linking" digital wallets by promising incredible benefits. It is noteworthy that these ads have been encountered on genuine sites that had been hacked.

Another widely used promotional technique is social media spam. These posts and direct/private messages (DMs/PMs) can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, celebrities, influencers, etc.

Other endorsement methods are not unlikely. Aside from the aforementioned, online scams are promoted through webpages using rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, forum posts, SMSes, cold calls/ robocalls, etc.), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, be wary of sites, advertisements, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Take note of URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use websites offering pirated software/media or other questionable services (e.g., streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Do not enable suspicious 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 dubious/irrelevant communications.

Download only from official/verified sources and approach installations cautiously (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software 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 "THENA" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official THENA website (thena.fi):

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:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

• What is "Fake THENA Website" 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 Web content that aims to trick users into performing certain actions. To elaborate, victims can be lured into connecting cryptowallets to drainers, sending money to scammers, providing sensitive information, buying products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing software, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals predominantly profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), abusing/selling private data, and spreading malware.

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

No, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because they are practically untraceable. Therefore, victims of fake websites like this "THENA" page cannot recover their digital assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

The most prevalent promotional techniques include: intrusive ads (malvertising), websites employing rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, browser notifications, etc.), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited websites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. It can also block all further access to such webpages.