How to identify scams like the fake "Aave Voting Rewards" platform

What is the "Aave Voting Rewards" scam?

We reviewed aave-governance[.]net and determined it to be a scam site impersonating the genuine Aave platform (aave.com). The fraudulent site copies the design to look legitimate and is created to deceive users into connecting their wallets. Its purpose is to steal cryptocurrency through a malicious tool.

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.

"Aave Voting Rewards" scam in detail

Aave (aave.com) is a decentralized protocol that lets people lend and borrow cryptocurrencies without a middleman. Lenders (suppliers) add funds to liquidity pools and earn interest, while borrowers take out loans by locking in collateral that is worth more than what they borrow.

The fraudulent website (aave-governance[.]net) presents a false announcement about an Aave Community Rewards event and encourages users to vote in order to receive an increased asset boost. This scheme is intended to mislead visitors and steal their cryptocurrency.

The goal is to lure visitors into connecting their wallets. When a wallet is connected, the site runs a malicious tool (a drainer) that siphons funds into the scammer's wallet. Since blockchain transfers cannot be reversed, the stolen assets are permanently lost. Wallets should only be connected to legitimate services and never to unverified or suspicious websites.

Conclusion

Aave (aave.com) is a platform for decentralized lending and borrowing, but scammers are exploiting its name with a fake site to trick users. The fraudulent website uses a false rewards announcement to convince victims to connect their wallets. Once connected, funds are drained and permanently lost, emphasizing the importance of only using trusted platforms.

Examples of similar scams are "Quant ($QNT) Rewards Scam", "Fake dYdX Trading Platform", and "Fake Euphoria Trading Website"

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers often spread crypto-related fraud through hacked or impersonated social media accounts, especially on X/Twitter, as well as through compromised WordPress sites. They also send phishing emails to lure victims. In addition, malicious advertising networks, commonly tied to torrent sites, pirated streaming services, and adult platforms, can direct users to scams.

Other tactics include fake download buttons, misleading links, and similar content on dubious pages, advertisements coming from adware (or similar software), and push notifications from unreliable websites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Avoid clicking on ads or links encountered on suspicious websites and never allow them to send notifications. Be cautious with emails or messages from unknown senders, and do not open their links or attachments. Only download software from official websites or trusted app stores.

Use reputable security software and regularly update your operating system and applications. 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 "Aave Voting Rewards" scam (GIF):

The original Aave website (aave.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Deceptive Aave Voting Rewards website?
• 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 crypto scam?

These scams (fake websites) often impersonate legitimate platforms, use fake announcements, or promise unrealistic rewards to lure victims.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

These scams are designed to trick people into giving away their cryptocurrency, private keys, or other personal information. Once users interact, the scammers can steal their funds.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Fraudulent websites are often promoted via phishing emails, hijacked social media accounts, or compromised websites. Users can also encounter them through malicious ad networks, commonly found on torrent or pirated content sites, misleading links, adware-injected ads, or deceptive notifications from untrustworthy pages.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner detects malicious or fraudulent websites, blocks access to dangerous pages, and alerts users when a threat is detected.