How to avoid getting scammed by fake "Avalanche (AVAX) Airdrop" sites

What is the fake "Avalanche (AVAX) Airdrop" website?

Our researchers discovered this fake "Avalanche (AVAX)" airdrop during a routine investigation. It impersonates the official website of the Avalanche network (avax.network). When a user tries to claim the airdrop, they inadvertently expose their digital wallet by entering its passphrase into a phishing site.

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 "Avalanche (AVAX) Airdrop" website overview

We found this bogus airdrop hosted on multiple domains, including ava-earn[.]com, avafinance[.]org, ava-claim[.]com, and avaprize[.]com. Other domains are possible. This scam imitates Avalanche (avax.network); on this network, users can stake AVAX (Avalanche's native token) to participate in consensus and earn rewards. The deceptive page claims that active crypto community members are being rewarded with an airdrop.

It must be emphasized that this event is fake, and it is in no way associated with the real Avalanche or any other existing projects, platforms, or entities.

When a user attempts to claim the airdrop, they are prompted to connect their digital wallet by providing its passphrase. The webpage then records the entered data and sends it to scammers, thus enabling them to steal the cryptowallet and the funds therein.

It must be mentioned that due to the practically untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Avalanche (AVAX)" airdrop cannot retrieve the stolen digital assets.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"$PUMP Airdrop", fake "Fluid.io" website, "Solana (SOL) Rewards", and fake "Centric" website are merely some of our latest articles on cryptocurrency-targeting scams.

There are three primary methods of operation for crypto scams – phishing for wallet log-in credentials, deceiving users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets, or using draining mechanisms to siphon assets from exposed wallets.

Online scams can differ greatly in appearance and modes of operation. Yet, regardless of this, the end goal is the same – to generate revenue at the victims' expense.

How did I open a scam website?

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

It is noteworthy that crypto drainers are often endorsed through intrusive pop-up adverts. They can be fully functional drainers themselves (i.e., capable of executing draining scripts). These ads may be encountered on legitimate sites that have been compromised.

Crypto scams are also promoted via social media spam. These posts and direct/private messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, celebrities, influencers, and so on.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We highly recommend vigilance when browsing since the Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content. Be wary of sites, ads, and messages that make unbelievable promises or warn about severe threats. Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use websites offering pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or deny their notification requests (i.e., select "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Be cautious with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/verified channels and be attentive when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, 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 "Avalanche (AVAX) Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Avalanche website (avax.network):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Avalanche (AVAX) Airdrop" scam website?
• 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 promoted on the Web. These scams are designed to trick users into disclosing sensitive data (like log-in credentials), downloading/installing software, connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, sending money to scammers, purchasing products, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

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

I have provided my personal information when tricked by an online scam, what should I do?

If you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords/passphrases of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

I have lost digital assets to the "Avalanche (AVAX) Airdrop" scam, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Avalanche (AVAX) Airdrop" page cannot recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited sites for deceptive and malicious content. It can also restrict all further access to these webpages.