How to identify fake "Brian" airdrops

What is the fake "Brian Airdrop" website?

Our research team found this fake "Brian" airdrop while browsing suspicious sites. Upon examination, we learned that this scam operates as a cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, it aims to steal digital assets from exposed cryptocurrency wallets. It must be stressed that this bogus airdrop is not associated with the official Brian website (brianarmbase.com).

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 "Brian Airdrop" website overview

The scam is presented as the official Brian memecoin site (brianarmbase.com). We found this page hosted on airdrop-onbasebrian[.]com, yet it could also be hosted on other domains. The deceptive site claims to be running an airdrop and promises rewards to loyal community members.

It must be reiterated that the information on this webpage is false, and this scam is in no way associated with the real Brian website or any other existing projects, platforms, or entities.

Once a cryptowallet is connected to the fraudulent webpage, the action signs a malicious contract. The initiated mechanism begins siphoning funds from the wallet. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and determine which to prioritize stealing.

Furthermore, these transactions may appear vague and remain unnoticed for a long time. What is more, cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Brian Airdrop" page cannot recover the stolen assets.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

Fake "BabyDoge" website, "Littleguy Airdrop", fake "Keeta" website, and "Keeta ($KTA) Airdrop" are merely a few of our newest articles on crypto drainers.

Cryptocurrency-targeting scams tend to work in one of three ways: using draining mechanisms, tricking victims into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets, or phishing for wallet log-in credentials.

It is common for these scams to be competently put together, and some even perfectly copy the design of legitimate sites. Hence, we strongly advise vigilance when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

Intrusive pop-up adverts (a type of malvertising) are commonly used to promote crypto drainers. Some are fully functional drainers themselves; the pop-ups entice users into connecting digital wallets by promising unbelievable benefits. Ads of this kind have even been encountered on legitimate websites that had been compromised.

Social media spam is also widely used in cryptocurrency-specific scam endorsement. These posts and direct/private messages (DMs/PMs) can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real projects, companies, celebrities, influencers, entrepreneurs, etc.).

However, other promotional methods are possible. In addition to those mentioned, online scams are endorsed via different types of spam (e.g., forum posts, emails, browser notifications, SMSes, robocalls/ cold calls, etc.), webpages using rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We highly recommend caution when browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and dangerous content. Therefore, be wary of websites, ads, and messages that make incredible promises or warn about severe threats. Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully.

Do not use sites offering pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages typically employ rogue advertising networks. Do not enable suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or block their notification requests.

Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links present in suspect/irrelevant mail. Download only from official/verified sources and be cautious when installing (e.g., read terms, study 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 "Brian Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Brian memecoin website (brianarmbase.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Brian 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?

Online scams are a type of deceptive Web content. These scams are designed to trick users into performing specific actions, such as connecting cryptowallets to drainers, making monetary transactions, disclosing vulnerable information, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, subscribing to services, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams aim to generate revenue for scammers. They primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private information, and spreading malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Brian 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 "Brian Airdrop" site cannot get their money back.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are primarily endorsed through websites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), intrusive ads (malvertising), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

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