How to avoid getting scammed by fake "$ERA Airdrop" websites

What is the fake "$ERA Airdrop" website?

Our research team discovered this fake "$ERA" airdrop while investigating suspicious sites. When users attempt to check their eligibility for the bogus airdrop, they expose their digital wallet to a cryptocurrency drainer. It must be stressed that, regardless of any similarities, this scam is not associated with 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 "$ERA Airdrop" website overview

We found this scam on claimera[.]live; however, it could also be hosted on other domains. This deceptive page runs an airdrop and states that users can check their eligibility for it by connecting their cryptowallet. It must be reiterated that this airdrop is fake, and by linking their wallet – users inadvertently expose it to a crypto drainer.

Basically, they unintentionally sign a malicious contract that activates a mechanism facilitating automated outgoing transactions. Some drainers can roughly estimate the value of digital assets to determine which to target first.

It is pertinent to mention that these transactions may appear vague, so they can remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time. What is more, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to being nearly untraceable. Therefore, victims of such scams cannot recover their funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

We have written countless articles on cryptocurrency-centered scams; "$REKT Airdrop", "ONTO Migration & Reward", and "SetLayer ($SLAY) Airdrop" are merely a few of our newest ones on drainers.

It is worth mentioning that aside from using draining mechanisms, these scams commonly work by tricking victims into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets or phishing for wallet log-in credentials.

Due to how prevalent scams are on the Web and how well-made they can be – we highly recommend vigilance when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

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

It is noteworthy that drainers are commonly endorsed via intrusive pop-up adverts. Some of the ads can be fully functional drainers; they lure users into linking digital wallets by promising incredible boons. These pop-ups may even be encountered on genuine sites that have been hacked.

Social media spam is also used in crypto scam promotion. These posts and private/direct messages can be made utilizing accounts stolen from real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, and so on.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, advertisements, and messages that make unbelievable promises. Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks.

Do not enable questionable pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or block their requests. Be vigilant with incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages; do not open attachments or links present in suspect/irrelevant communications.

Download only from official/verified channels and be cautious when installing (e.g., read terms, study terms, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software 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 "$ERA Airdrop" website (GIF):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "$ERA Airdrop" 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?

An online scam is a type of deceptive Web content aiming to trick users into performing certain actions. To elaborate, victims can be deceived into connecting digital wallets to drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing private data, downloading/installing software, buying products, subscribing services, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The goal of online scams is to generate revenue at their victims' expense. Scammers primarily profit by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., websites, products, services, programs, etc.), abusing/selling private information, and spreading malware.

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

No, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed. The reason is their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this "$ERA Airdrop" site cannot recover the stolen funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

The most prevalent promotional methods are: spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, social media posts, DMs/PMs, SMSes, calls, etc.), sites employing rogue advertising networks, intrusive advertisements (malvertising), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. Additionally, Combo Cleaner can restrict all further access to sites hosting such content.