How to spot fake pages like the "Aethir ($ATH) Rewards" scam site

What is "Aethir ($ATH) Rewards"?

We have reviewed the page (claim-aethircloud[.]com) and found that it closely resembles the original Aethir website, aethir.com. Its purpose is to trick visitors into believing that they can receive rewards by connecting their wallets. However, victims of this scam receive no rewards and can suffer financial loss.

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.

"Aethir ($ATH) Rewards" in detail

Aethir (aethir.com) is a global cloud computing network that combines high-performance GPUs from different owners. GPU owners can earn by sharing unused processing power, while users can access affordable on-demand computing for AI tasks, gaming, and other virtualized workloads.

On the fake website (claim-aethircloud[.]com), visitors are encouraged to claim ATH rewards. The site states that rewards are based on the user's token holdings, on-chain activity, and ecosystem engagement. It instructs visitors to connect their wallets to "proceed".

Connecting a wallet to the site activates a malicious tool (a crypto drainer) designed to transfer funds directly to the scammer's wallet. It is important to note that blockchain transactions cannot be undone, so stolen cryptocurrency is often lost without the ability to recover it.

Scams like this one highlight the importance of being cautious with crypto platforms and always researching them before connecting wallets or engaging in other ways.

Conclusion

The fake Aethir site (claim-aethircloud[.]com) is a scam that steals cryptocurrency by tricking users into connecting their wallets. Connecting wallets to such sites can lead to permanent loss of funds. Thus, it is important to always verify the legitimacy of platforms before doing so.

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?

Crypto scams are frequently promoted via hacked or fake social media accounts, particularly on X/Twitter, and through compromised WordPress sites. Scammers also use deceptive emails to trick users into opening scam websites.

Furthermore, malicious ad networks, often linked to torrent sites, pirated streaming platforms, and adult content sites, can redirect users to fraudulent pages. Additional methods include ads injected by adware, notifications from untrustworthy websites, and links, ads, pop-ups, etc., on suspicious sites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Be careful with irrelevant, unexpected emails or messages from unknown sources, and avoid opening links or attachments. Do not click on ads or links on suspicious websites, and do not allow them to send notifications. Only download programs from official websites or trusted app stores.

Also, protect your device by using reliable security software and keeping your operating system and apps up to date. 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 "Aethir ($ATH) Rewards" scam website (GIF):

The original Aethir website (aethir.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Aethir ($ATH) Rewards fake 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 frequently mimic real platforms and offer various incentives (e.g., investment opportunities, rewards, or free cryptocurrency) to trick users.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

Scammers use these sites to convince people to reveal sensitive information, execute malicious tools (e.g., crypto drainers), or take other actions. Their goal is to steal cryptocurrency.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Scam websites are frequently spread through phishing emails, stolen social media accounts, compromised sites, malicious ad networks (often used by torrent and pirated content sites), misleading links on shady sites, ads injected by adware, or deceptive notifications from untrustworthy websites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner identifies harmful or fake websites, prevents access to risky pages, and notifies users when a threat is found.