How to avoid scams like "River Pts Airdrop"

What is "River Pts Airdrop" scam?

While inspecting the site (app.riversnetwork[.]net), we uncovered that it promotes a fake airdrop. This page offers individuals an opportunity to participate in a giveaway to trick them into taking actions that enable scammers to steal their crypto. This site should be avoided and closed if ever encountered.

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.

"River Pts Airdrop" scam in detail

River (app.river.inc) is a platform that makes using stablecoins across different blockchains easier. Its stablecoin, satUSD, lets users earn interest, borrow, and provide liquidity across multiple blockchain ecosystems without having to move assets through bridges.

The fraudulent site (app.riversnetwork[.]net) states that points can be converted into tokens within 180 days after the Token Generation Event (TGE). It claims the conversion rate follows a dynamic curve, changing based on when the conversion takes place. Essentially, it invites users to participate in an airdrop.

Its goal is to trick visitors into clicking the "Connect Wallet" button and connecting their wallets. If a user connects their wallet, the site can secretly trigger a crypto drainer that moves funds from the connected wallet to the cybercriminal. Because blockchain transfers are final, stolen funds are usually gone for good.

Therefore, users are strongly advised to only connect wallets on trusted platforms and never enter sensitive data on unknown sites.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the fake site imitates River platforem to promote a fraudulent airdrop and steal cryptocurrency from connected wallets. Since blockchain transactions cannot be reversed, victims risk losing their funds permanently. Unfortunately, there are numerous scams like this.

Some examples are "Stream SZN ($STRSZN) Airdrop", "Fake RedStone Website", and "Bio Protocol ($BIO) Airdrop".

How did I open a scam website?

Cybercriminals rely on compromised or fake social media accounts, hacked sites, and phishing emails to spread scams. Another common method is malicious advertising networks, which often appear on torrent platforms, pirated streaming sites, adult pages, and other unreliable websites.

In addition, fake buttons, deceptive links, or ads delivered by adware can push users toward these pages, or users may land on them via notifications sent by unsafe websites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Download apps, files, and software only from trusted sources such as official websites or app stores. Steer clear of ads and links on unreliable websites, and do not allow them to send notifications. Treat unexpected emails or messages with caution, especially those from unknown senders, and avoid clicking links or opening attachments they contain.

Keep your operating system and applications up to date, use reputable security software, and run regular system scans. If your computer is already infected with unwanted apps, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

The appearance of "River Pts Airdrop" pop-up scam (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake River Pts Airdrop?
• 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 a fake crypto airdrop?

Such schemes often impersonate real exchanges or services, with the intent of tricking users into actions that ultimately benefit the scammers.

What is the purpose of a fake crypto giveaway?

Scammers want unsuspecting individuals to connect their wallets, send crypto, or give away private info. In almost every case they are after crypto.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Cybercriminals spread scams through fake or hacked social media accounts, compromised websites, phishing emails, and malicious ads (and rogue advertising networks on torrent and similar sites). Users can also be directed to fraudulent sites via deceptive links, fake buttons, adware, or notifications from unsafe websites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner scans websites for malicious or scam content, notifying the user and blocking access automatically if a threat is found.