How to identify fake "Y Combinator - W2026 Batch" websites

What is the fake "Y Combinator - W2026 Batch" website?

"Y Combinator - W2026 Batch" refers to a scam that impersonates the official website of Y Combinator (ycombinator.com). It entices users with an opportunity to apply for an upcoming round of funding. The goal is to deceive victims into exposing their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer. This scam has been promoted through spam emails distributed by abusing the GitHub notification system.

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 "Y Combinator - W2026 Batch" website overview

This scam imitates Y Combinator's official site (ycombinator.com). Y Combinator is a startup accelerator and venture capital firm that offers funding to early-stage technology startups in exchange for equity.

The deceptive webpage invites users to apply for the Winter 2026 Batch (W2026) funding. The scam was hosted on y-comblnator[.]com – a URL that includes a superfluous dash and is just one letter off from Y Combinator's actual domain (typosquatting). Keep in mind that this scam could be hosted on other domains as well.

It must be emphasized that this scam is in no way associated with the Winter 2026 Batch, Y Combinator, LLC (YC), or any other existing projects, platforms, or entities.

The fake page claims that during the registration process, EIP-712 and the Ethereum Attestation Service will be used to verify the user's digital wallet. The webpage states that as a result, the user may see a "standard withdrawal notification" – which will supposedly serve as confirmation of their signature. Thus, the scam seeks to hide the activity of the cryptocurrency drainer. It is initiated after a user connects their cryptowallet to the page, thereby signing a malicious contract.

Essentially, the victim's funds are transferred to scammer-owned wallets through automated transactions. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and determine which to prioritize stealing.

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 "Y Combinator - W2026 Batch" website cannot retrieve the stolen funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

We have written about numerous crypto scams; "Foxy Airdrop", "Maple Finance Bonus Allocation", and "Bio Protocol ($BIO) Airdrop" are merely a couple of our latest articles.

Using draining mechanisms is not the sole method of operation for cryptocurrency-specific scams. They can also work by phishing for wallet log-in credentials or tricking users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

Due to how widespread scams are on the Web and how well-made they can be – we strongly advise vigilance when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

This "Y Combinator - W2026 Batch" scam has been promoted through spam emails. The message stated that the "Y Combinator W2026 Program is now open for applications" and invited recipients to apply.

These emails were distributed by abusing the GitHub notification system. This system works by automatically sending an alert whenever a GitHub account is tagged whilst reporting a repository issue. Hence, this spam campaign was facilitated by leveraging a legitimate sender, which created an incredible impression of legitimacy.

Other promotional methods are not unlikely. Generally, online scams are endorsed via websites using rogue advertising networks, various types of spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media/ forum posts, browser notifications, SMSes, cold calls/ robocalls, etc.), intrusive ads (may be encountered on hacked sites), mistyped URLs, and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Be wary of sites, messages, and ads that make unbelievable promises or urge you to take action against serious threats. Do not open attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant mail.

Do not use websites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks. Do not enable suspect pages to display browser notifications; ignore or block their requests.

Download only from official/verified sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, features, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous 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 "Y Combinator - W2026 Batch" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Y Combinator website (ycombinator.com):

Screenshot of the spam email promoting this scam (image source – BleepingComputer):

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Quick menu:

• What is "Y Combinator - W2026 Batch" 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 promoted on the Web. These scams aim to deceive users into performing certain actions, e.g., connecting cryptowallets to drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing private data, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. They predominantly profit by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive information, and spreading malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Y Combinator - W2026 Batch" scam, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are practically untraceable. Therefore, victims of such scams cannot recover the stolen digital assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for deceptive/malicious content, and it can block all further access to such pages.