How to identify fake "Kaito Airdrop" websites

What is the fake "Kaito Airdrop" website?

While investigating suspicious websites, our researchers found this fake "Kaito" airdrop. It imitates the Kaito AI platform and promises to triple users' investments. However, digital assets sent to the cryptowallet promoted by this scam are lost, and no return is received.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not review crypto projects, please do your own research when investing money.

Federal Trade Commission (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 "Kaito Airdrop" website overview

This scam is a close visual imitation of the official Kaito AI website (kaito.ai). Kaito AI is a cryptocurrency intelligence platform and Web3 search engine that collects associated (including real-time) information with the aid of AI (Artificial Intelligence).

We discovered this scam on kaitoairdropchallenge[.]com, but it could also be hosted on different domains. This webpage promises an immediate triple return to made investments.

It must be emphasized that this airdrop is fake; victims receive no return and lose all the funds they had transferred. And it must be stressed that this scam is not associated with the real Kaito AI or any other existing projects, platforms, or entities.

It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Kaito Airdrop" site cannot retrieve their funds.

Crypto scam examples

Cryptocurrency-targeted scams tend to operate in one of three ways: tricking users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets, phishing for wallet log-in credentials, and using draining mechanisms to steal funds from exposed wallets.

We have investigated numerous online scams; "BitMart Rewards", "BNBTiger Rewards", "Parasail Giveaway", "Unstable Coin ($USDUC) Airdrop", fake "Chainlink" website, "Popcat Airdrop", and fake "PancakeSwap" website are merely some of our latest articles on crypto scams.

While scams are often poorly put together and full of mistakes, they can be competently put together and even convincingly disguised as content associated with legitimate entities. Cryptocurrency-centered scams are notorious for perfectly copying the design of genuine websites. Therefore, we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

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

Cryptocurrency-specific scams are often endorsed via social media spam. Promotional posts and private/direct messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, celebrities, entrepreneurs, influencers, and so on. If a scam aligns with the content ordinarily posted by the account – this creates an incredible impression of legitimacy.

Intrusive pop-up advertisements (a type of malvertising) are also widely used. These pop-ups may be fully functional drainers themselves (i.e., capable of executing draining scripts). Adverts of this kind have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been hacked.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to ensuring your online safety. Therefore, be wary of sites, adverts, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Take note of URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use websites offering pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Approach incoming emails and other messages cautiously; do not open attachments or links present in suspicious communications. Do not permit questionable pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or block their notification requests.

Download only from official/trustworthy sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/dangerous 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 "Kaito Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Kaito AI website (kaito.ai):

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 "Kaito 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?

An online scam is a type of deceptive content hosted on the Web. These scams are designed to trick users into performing specific actions, such as making monetary transactions, disclosing vulnerable information, connecting cryptowallets to drainers, downloading/installing programs, buying products, subscribing to services, and so forth.

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, promoting content, selling/abusing private data, and spreading malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible due to being nearly untraceable. Therefore, victims of such scams cannot get their money back.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are predominantly encountered via intrusive advertisements, spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, browser notifications, SMSes, calls, etc.), sites using rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

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