How to avoid scams like the fake "UBTOBER Airdrop"

What is "UPTOBER Airdrop"?

During our examination, we uncovered that drop.uptober[.]live is a fraudulent website designed to appear as the original UPTOBER website (uptober.fun) and promote a fake airdrop (giveaway). Its goal is to trick visitors into performing steps enabling scammers to steal their cryptocurrency.

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.

"UPTOBER Airdrop" in detail

Uptober (uptober.fun) serves as the official platform for the Uptober (UP) cryptocurrency token, which is inspired by the "Uptober" trend in the cryptocurrency community. The platform presents itself as community-driven and focuses on decentralized decision-making and active user participation.

Scammers often create fake airdrops that pretend to be from legitimate cryptocurrency platforms. They lure users by claiming they can receive free tokens or rewards, but in reality, the goal is to steal cryptocurrency. On drop.uptober[.]live, users are invited to participate in the SUPTOBER airdrop.

The fraudulent site instructs visitors to connect their wallets to claim tokens. However, once a wallet is connected, the page activates a cryptocurrency drainer. This malicious tool can send cryptocurrency from the victim's wallet to the scammer's. Blockchain transactions cannot be undone, which means that once cryptocurrency is stolen, it is usually lost permanently.

Scams of this kind emphasize the importance of being cautious when dealing with crypto platforms, especially those offering free tokens (promoting airdrops or similar events). Users should always verify the legitimacy of a platform before connecting their wallets or providing any sensitive information.

Conclusion

In conclusion, drop.uptober[.]live is a fraudulent site that impersonates the Uptober platform to steal cryptocurrency through a fake airdrop. By tricking users into connecting their wallets, scammers can drain funds, which usually cannot be recovered. Users should be able to identify scams (including fake airdrops) to avoid financial loss or other issues.

Here are more examples of similar scams: "Priceless Treasury Allocation", "Fake ApeX Protocol Website", and "Microbiome DAO Airdrop".

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto scams, particularly those involving wallet drainers, usually spread through hacked or fake social media accounts on platforms like X/Twitter and Facebook and compromised WordPress sites. Scammers can also send deceptive emails or use notifications from untrustworthy pages to promote their schemes.

Additionally, users can open scam websites while visiting sites that use rogue advertising networks. These networks are often encountered on pages offering torrents, adult content, illegal streaming, etc. Ads, buttons, links, and similar content on questionable pages, as well as adware, are also used to trick users into opening scam sites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Download software from official websites or trusted app stores. Avoid clicking on links or interacting with ads on untrustworthy websites, and never grant these sites permission to send notifications. Be cautious with suspicious or unexpected emails and messages from unknown senders, and do not open attachments (or links) they contain.

Keep your system secure by using reputable security software and ensuring your operating system and applications are always 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 "UPTOBER Airdrop" scam (GIF):

The original UPTOBER website (uptober.fun):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake UBTOBER giveaway?
• 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 usually masquerade as trusted services or exchanges (or other platforms), misleading users into carrying out actions that profit the scammers.

What is the purpose of a fake crypto giveaway?

The main objective of these scams is to acquire cryptocurrency by manipulating users into connecting wallets, sending funds, or providing sensitive information.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Scammers frequently spread their schemes through stolen or fake social media accounts, compromised websites, phishing emails, and malicious advertisements. They also take advantage of rogue ad networks on torrent sites, pirated streaming platforms, and similar services. Additionally, users may be redirected to fraudulent sites through notifications from untrustworthy sites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

While browsing, Combo Cleaner detects harmful or fraudulent sites, warns the user, and blocks them automatically.