How to identify fake "OpenxAI Staking" sites

What is the fake "OpenxAI Staking" website?

"OpenxAI Staking" is a scam that our researchers discovered during a routine inspection of suspicious websites. This fraudulent page promises a large APR (Annual Percentage Rate) for staking tokens. It is disguised as the OpenxAI Network (openxai.org) yet bears no actual association with this platform. The scam operates as a crypto drainer – by stealing funds from exposed digital wallets.

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 "OpenxAI Staking" website overview

This scam impersonates the official OpenxAI Network website (openxai.org) and promises an up to 20% APR (Annual Percentage Rate) for staking OPENX (the platform's native tokens). OpenxAI Network (OPENX) is a platform that allows users to host, build, train, and experiment with AI (Artificial Intelligence) without centralized control. We discovered this scam on stake-openxai[.]com, but it could also be hosted on different domains.

It must be emphasized that the information provided by this webpage is false, and the scam is not associated with the real OpenxAI Network or any other existing platforms, projects, or entities.

Once a digital wallet is connected to the fake site, the action signs a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. Basically, the victim's digital assets are transferred to wallets in the scammers' possession. These transactions are automated and may appear innocuous, so they might remain unnoticed for a long time. It is noteworthy that some drainers can approximate the value of assets and determine which to steal first.

It must be mentioned that due to the nearly untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions, they cannot be reversed. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "OpenxAI Staking" website cannot recover the stolen funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"Lombard ($BARD) Staking", "Zebec Network Rewards", and "$GUARD Airdrop" are just a couple of our newest articles on drainers. In addition to using draining mechanisms, scammers commonly target digital currencies by phishing for wallet log-in credentials or deceiving users into manually transferring assets to their wallets.

While online scams are often poorly made and full of various errors, they can be competently crafted and even convincingly disguised as content associated with genuine entities. Crypto scams are known to utilize perfect visual copies of legitimate sites. Therefore, we strongly advise vigilance when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

In general, online scams are endorsed via spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, browser notifications, SMSes, cold calls/ robocalls, etc.), sites using rogue advertising networks (redirects), malvertising (intrusive advertisements), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware (ads or redirects).

Intrusive pop-up adverts are prevalent in cryptocurrency drainer promotion. Some of these advertisements are fully functional drainers themselves; they lure users into "connecting" cryptowallets by promising incredible benefits. These pop-ups have even been encountered on legitimate websites that had been hacked.

Another widely used endorsement method is social media spam. These posts and direct/private messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, and so on.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, be wary of sites, advertisements, and communications that make unbelievable promises. Pay attention to 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 are typically monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Do not enable suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or deny their requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Do not open attachments or links found in dubious mail (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, etc.).

Download 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 harmful software (like adware) 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 "OpenxAI Staking" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official OpenxAI Network website (openxai.org):

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 "OpenxAI Staking" 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 content hosted on the Web. These scams are designed to trick users into performing specific actions, such as connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, disclosing vulnerable information, making monetary transactions, purchasing products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing programs, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. They may profit by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive data, spreading malware, or through other nefarious means.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are practically untraceable. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "OpenxAI Staking" page cannot get their assets back.

Why do I encounter online scams?

The most widely used promotional techniques include: sites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), intrusive ads, misspelled URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan sites for deceptive and malicious content. Additionally, it can restrict all further access to such webpages.