How to avoid getting scammed by fake "SoDEX Rewards" websites

What is the fake "SoDEX Rewards" website?

"SoDEX Rewards" is a scam page (sodexclaim[.]online; possibly other domains) discovered by our researchers during a routine inspection of suspicious websites.

Upon examination, we learned that this webpage operates as a cryptocurrency drainer, i.e., siphons funds from exposed cryptowallets. It must be stressed that this scam is not associated with any existing projects, platforms, or entities.

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 "SoDEX Rewards" website overview

As mentioned in the introduction, we found this scam promoted on sodexclaim[.]online, yet it could be hosted on other domains as well. The fraudulent webpage promises big rewards and daily testnet tokens. It must be emphasized that, regardless of any possible similarities, this scam is not associated with existing projects, platforms, or entities.

Connecting a digital wallet to this "SoDEX Rewards" page signs a malicious contract that facilitates the crypto drainer. Essentially, the victim's funds are transferred to scammer-owned wallets through automated and potentially vague-looking transactions.

It is noteworthy that some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and determine which to prioritize stealing. What is more, due to the nearly traceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "SoDEX Rewards" website cannot retrieve the stolen funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

We have investigated thousands of online scams; "DappWallet Node Airdrop", "$RCADE Airdrop", and "Solaxy (SOLX) Airdrop" are merely a few of our newest articles on drainers.

The most prevalent modus operandi for cryptocurrency-targeting scams include: using draining mechanisms to steal assets from exposed wallets, phishing for wallet log-in credentials, or tricking users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

Due to how widespread scams are on the Web and how convincing they can be – we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

In general, online scams are promoted through websites utilizing rogue advertising networks (redirects), malvertising (intrusive advertisements), spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, social media/ forum posts, PMs/DMs, SMSes, robocalls/ cold calls, etc.), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

Crypto drainers are often endorsed via intrusive pop-up ads. They may be fully functional drainers themselves (i.e., capable of executing draining scripts). It is worth mentioning that these adverts have been encountered on legitimate websites that had been compromised.

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

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, be wary of sites, ads, and communications that make unbelievable promises or warn about severe threats. Take note of URLs and type them attentively. Do not use websites offering pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages typically employ rogue advertising networks.

Do not enable suspect pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or block their notification requests. Be careful with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious mail.

Download from official/trustworthy channels and be attentive when installing (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, functions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful 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 "SoDEX Rewards" website (GIF):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "SoDEX Rewards" 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 deceptive content hosted on the Web that aims to trick users into performing specific actions. To elaborate, victims can be enticed into linking cryptowallets to drainers, providing sensitive information, making monetary transactions, purchasing products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing programs, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at their victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content, selling/abusing private information, and proliferating malware.

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

No, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because they are practically untraceable. Therefore, victims of such scams cannot recover the stolen digital assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan every website that you visit and detect rogue, deceptive/scam, and malicious pages. It can also block all further access to sites hosting content.