How to recognize fake "Centric" websites

What is the fake "Centric" website?

While inspecting suspicious sites, our research team discovered this fake "Centric" website. It imitates the official site of the Centric dual-token cryptocurrency (centric.com). The purpose of this scam is to trick users into exposing their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency 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 "Centric" website overview

We found this scam on app.centric-portal[.]xyz, but it could also be hosted on other domains. The webpage impersonates Centric (centric.com) – the official website of a dual-token cryptocurrency, comprising CNS (Centric Swap) and CNR (Centric Rise). The fake page offers options for migrating tokens, claiming an airdrop, manual wallet import, and purchasing tokens.

It must be emphasized that this scam is in no way associated with Centric or any other existing projects, platforms, or entities.

Once a digital wallet is connected to this webpage, the action signs a malicious contract. It facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer, i.e., a mechanism that siphons digital assets from exposed cryptowallets. These transactions are automated, and may appear vague – so, they might remain unnoticed for a long time. Drainers can have the ability to approximate the value of digital assets and determine which to steal first.

It must be mentioned that due to the nearly untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Centric" site cannot get their money back.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

Fake "Nura Labs" website, "$RUDI Pre-sale", "Snoonaut ($SNOOT) Airdrop", and "Spheron (SPON) Reward" are just some of our latest articles on drainers. Aside from using draining mechanisms, scams that target digital currencies commonly do so by phishing for wallet log-in credentials or tricking users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

The Internet is full of scams, and they can differ greatly in appearance and modus operandi. However, regardless of this, their end goal is the same – generate revenue for scammers. Due to how widespread scams are on the Web and how well-crafted they can be – we highly recommend vigilance when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

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

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

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

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to ensuring your online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, advertisements, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Do not use sites offering pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit questionable pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or block their notification requests. Do not open attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant emails and other messages.

Download only from official/trustworthy sources and be cautious when installing (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, features, tools, 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 "Centric" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Centric website (centric.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Fake Centric 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 deceptive content hosted on the Web; their purpose is to trick users into performing specific actions. To elaborate, victims can be enticed into linking digital wallets to crypto drainers, disclosing sensitive information, sending money to scammers, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, subscribing to services, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are intended to generate revenue at their victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive data, and spreading malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are practically untraceable. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Centric" page cannot recover the stolen assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are predominantly encountered via websites that use rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, social media posts, DMs/PMs, etc.), intrusive adverts, mistyped URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for deceptive and malicious content. Should such a page be visited – Combo Cleaner will issue immediate warnings and block all further access to the site.