How to recognize fake "Popcat Airdrop" sites

What is the fake "Popcat Airdrop" website?

Our researchers discovered this fake "Popcat" airdrop during a routine investigation. By attempting to participate in this bogus airdrop, users are lured into exposing their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer. It must be emphasized that this scam is not associated with the official Popcat website (popcatsolana.xyz).

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 "Popcat Airdrop" website overview

We discovered this fake airdrop on claim.popcat[.]life, yet it could also be hosted on other domains. This webpage claims to be running a giveaway and promises other free crypto rewards in the future. It masquerades as the Popcat site (popcatsolana.xyz). Popcat is a Solana-based memecoin inspired by the Popcat Internet meme.

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

When a cryptowallet is connected to the fraudulent site, the action results in the signing of a malicious contract. It facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer – a mechanism that siphons funds from exposed wallets. Some drainers can roughly estimate the value of digital assets and determine which to prioritize stealing.

It must be mentioned that these transactions may appear innocuous and remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time. What is more, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Popcat Airdrop" website cannot recover the stolen funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"Matchain ($MAT) Airdrop", fake "Uniswap" website, and "$IBVM Airdrop" are just a couple of our newest articles on drainers. Cryptocurrency-targeting scams are widespread on the Internet. They operate in one of three ways: utilizing draining mechanisms to steal assets from wallets, phishing for wallet log-in credentials, and tricking users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

Crypto scams may be competently made, believably disguised as content associated with legitimate entities, or even perfectly copy the design of legitimate sites. Therefore, we strongly advised vigilance when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are often promoted through a type of malvertising – intrusive pop-up adverts. Some of the pop-ups are fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising incredible benefits. Advertisements of this kind have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been compromised.

Another widely used promotional technique is social media spam. These posts and direct/private messages can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, organizations, etc.). If the endorsed scam aligns with the content ordinarily posted by the account – this creates a remarkable impression of legitimacy.

Other endorsement methods are not unlikely. Aside from those already mentioned, online scams are promoted via different types of spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, forum posts, SMSes, robocalls/ cold calls, etc.), websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to online safety. Therefore, be wary of sites, ads, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Take note of URLs and type them carefully. Do not use websites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages typically employ rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit dubious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or block their notification requests. Do not open attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant communications (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, etc.).

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

Screenshot of the official Popcat website (popcatsolana.xyz):

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

• What is "Popcat 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 content promoted on the Web. These scams are designed to trick users into performing specific actions, e.g., connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, making monetary transactions, providing vulnerable information, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, subscribing to services, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. They primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content, selling/abusing private data, and proliferating malware.

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

No, cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are nearly untraceable. Therefore, victims of such scams cannot recover the stolen assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are most commonly promoted via websites using rogue advertising networks, intrusive adverts, spam (e.g., social media posts, PMs/DMs, emails, browser notifications, etc.), mistyped URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan visited sites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious webpages. It can also block all further access to such websites.