How to identify fake "Aster Airdrop" websites

What is the fake "Aster Airdrop" website?

While inspecting untrustworthy sites, our researchers found this fake "Aster" airdrop. This scam is designed to lure users into exposing their cryptocurrency wallets to a crypto drainer. It must be emphasized that this bogus airdrop is not associated with the real Aster exchange.

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 "Aster Airdrop" website overview

We discovered this scam on register-asterdex[.]com, yet it could also be hosted on different domains. This fraudulent webpage is presented as the official Aster website (asterdex.com). Aster is a DEX (Decentralized Exchange) platform focused on certain types of trading across multiple blockchains. The deceptive page uses an airdrop as a lure.

It must be emphasized that this airdrop is fake and in no way associated with the actual Aster DEX platform or any other existing projects/entities.

Connecting a digital wallet to this site signs a malicious contract. It facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer – a mechanism that siphons funds from exposed wallets. These outgoing transactions are automated and may appear innocuous, so they might remain unnoticed for a long time. Drainers might be capable of approximating the worth of digital assets and stealing those of the highest value 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 "Aster Airdrop" website cannot recover the stolen funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"Solana Community Airdrop", fake "Sol Incinerator" website, "Boundless (ZKC) Airdrop", and "NFTStrategy Airdrop" are merely a few of our latest articles on drainers.

In addition to using draining mechanisms, crypto scams commonly operate by phishing for wallet log-in credentials or deceiving users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

Although online scams are often poorly put together and full of mistakes, they can be competently crafted and convincingly disguised as content associated with genuine entities. In fact, crypto scams are notorious for utilizing perfect visual copies of legitimate websites. Due to this, we strongly recommend caution when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

One of the most widely used promotional techniques for crypto drainers is a type of malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up advertisements. They can be fully functional drainers themselves; the pop-ups entice users into "linking" cryptowallets by promising incredible boons. These adverts were even encountered on legitimate sites that had been compromised.

Another prevalent method is social media spam. Promotional posts and direct/private messages can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, etc.).

Other endorsement techniques are not unlikely. In addition to those already mentioned, online scams are promoted via different types of spam (e.g., emails, forum posts, browser notifications, cold calls/ robocalls, SMSes, etc.), sites using rogue advertising networks (redirects), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware (ads or redirects).

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, advertisements, and communications that make unbelievable promises or urge you to take action against severe threats. Pay attention to URLs and be vigilant when typing them.

Do not use sites offering pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks. Do not permit suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or deny their requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Do not open attachments or links present in dubious/irrelevant emails and other messages. Download only from official/trustworthy sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, features, etc.) – to prevent dangerous software (like adware) 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 "Aster Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Aster website (asterdex.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Aster Airdrop" 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 scams promoted on the Internet. They are designed to deceive users into performing specific actions, such as connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, disclosing vulnerable information, sending money to scammers, buying products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing software, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at their victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive data, and spreading malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are practically untraceable. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Aster Airdrop" page cannot retrieve the stolen digital assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

The most prevalent online scam promotion techniques include: websites using rogue advertising networks (redirects), spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, browser notifications, calls, SMSes, etc.), intrusive advertisements, misspelled URLs, and adware (advertisements/redirects).

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to eliminate all kinds of threats. It is capable of scanning visited websites for deceptive and malicious content. Therefore, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and Combo Cleaner will restrict all further access to the site.