How to avoid getting scammed by fake "Zebec Network Rewards" sites

What is the fake "Zebec Network Rewards" website?

While browsing suspicious websites, our research team discovered this fake "Zebec Network Rewards" page. It promises rewards to early Zebec platform's native token holders. It must be emphasized that this scam is not associated with the real Zebec platform (zebec.io). "Zebec Network Rewards" operates as a cryptocurrency drainer.

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 "Zebec Network Rewards" website overview

We found this scam promoted on zebecreward[.]live, yet it could be hosted on different domains. This webpage is a close visual imitation of the official Zebec website (zebec.io). Zebec is a blockchain-based platform intended to facilitate payment and other financial services. The fake page claims that early holders of Zebec tokens are eligible to receive rewards.

It must be stressed that the information on this site is false, and this scam is not associated with Zebec or any other existing projects, platforms, or entities.

Once a digital wallet is connected to the fraudulent website – a malicious contract is signed. It facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, the victim's funds are transferred to cryptowallets in the scammers' possession. These transactions are automated and might appear vague, so they may remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time. Drainers may be capable of approximating the value of digital assets and determining which to steal first.

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 "Zebec Network Rewards" page cannot recover the stolen assets.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"$GUARD Airdrop", fake "HyperSwap" website, "BitMart Rewards", "BNBTiger Rewards", and "Parasail Giveaway" are merely some of our latest articles on drainers.

Aside from using draining mechanisms, crypto scams commonly target wallet log-in credentials or trick users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets. Prevalent lures include rewards, airdrops, double/triple investment returns, account/wallet issues, security concerns, suspicious transactions, etc.

Online scams may be competently put together, convincingly disguised as content associated with genuine entities, and even utilize perfect copies of legitimate websites. Therefore, we strongly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

Cryptocurrency drainers are often promoted via intrusive pop-up ads (malvertising). Some are fully functional drainers themselves (i.e., capable of executing draining scripts). These pop-ups were even encountered on legitimate sites that have been compromised.

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

Other endorsement techniques are possible. Aside from those already mentioned, online scams are endorsed through webpages using rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, forum posts, SMSes, cold calls/ robocalls, etc.), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to ensure your online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, adverts, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Take note of URLs and be attentive when typing them. Do not use sites offering pirated content (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit dubious 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 suspicious/irrelevant mail.

Download from official/verified sources and be cautious when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous 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 "Zebec Network Rewards" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Zebec website (zebec.io):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Zebec Network Rewards" 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. For example, victims can be lured into connecting cryptowallets to drainers, disclosing sensitive data, making monetary transactions, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at their victims' expense. Scammers predominantly profit by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content, abusing/selling private information, and spreading malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Zebec Network Rewards" scam, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are practically untraceable. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Zebec Network Rewards" page cannot retrieve their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan all the websites you visit and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. It can also restrict further access to these webpages.