How to recognize fake Fleek websites

What is the fake "Fleek" website?

During a routine investigation, our researchers discovered this fake "Fleek" webpage (register-fleek[.]com; other domains are possible). It impersonates Fleek's official website to deceive users into exposing their cryptowallets to a cryptocurrency drainer.

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 "Fleek" website overview

We found this scam on register-fleek[.]com, but it could also be promoted on different domains. It is an almost perfect visual copy of Fleek (fleek.xyz). Fleek is an open-source platform that allows users to build and deploy AI (Artificial Intelligence) agents and modern applications; it is self-described as a "fantasy social app where anyone can create, remix, and monetize content with AI".

It must be emphasized that this imitator webpage is not associated with the actual Fleek platform or any other existing projects/entities.

When a digital wallet is connected to the fraudulent site, the action signs a malicious contract that facilitates the crypto drainer. This is a mechanism capable of automatically transferring victims' funds to scammer-owned wallets.

These outgoing transactions may appear vague and remain unnoticed for a long time. Some drainers can roughly estimate the value of digital assets and determine which to prioritize stealing.

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 "Fleek" website cannot recover their funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"Dione Protocol ($DIONE) Vote Rewards", "Claim $HANA", "ApeX Protocol ($APEX) Vote Reward", and "$LOOK Airdrop" are merely some of our newest articles on drainers.

Typically, crypto scams operating one of three ways: using draining mechanisms to siphon assets from exposed wallets, phishing for wallet log-in credentials, or tricking users into manually transferring funds to wallets in the cyber criminals' possession.

Online scams can be competently made and convincingly disguised as content associated with genuine entities. Cryptocurrency-targeting scams are notorious for utilizing perfect visual copies of existing websites. Therefore, we highly recommend vigilance when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

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

Cryptocurrency drainers are often promoted through intrusive pop-up adverts, which may be capable of executing draining scripts themselves. These pop-ups may be encountered on legitimate sites that have been compromised.

Social media spam is another widely used promotional method. These posts and direct/private messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, celebrities, influencers, and so on.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is crucial to ensuring your online safety. Therefore, pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Be wary of websites, ads, and messages that make unbelievable promises or urge you to take action against severe threats.

Do not use sites offering pirated software/media or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized through rogue advertising networks. Do not permit questionable pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or block their notification requests.

Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious mail. Download only from official/trustworthy sources and be careful when installing (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/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 "Fleek" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Fleek website (fleek.xyz):

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Fake Fleek Website" 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 hosted on the Internet. They are designed to trick users into performing certain actions, such as connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, providing vulnerable information, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. They primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), abusing/selling sensitive data, and spreading malware.

I have lost digital assets to a fake "Fleek" website, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of such scams cannot recover the stolen digital assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are most commonly encountered via intrusive advertisements, spam (e.g., social media posts, PM/DMs, emails, browser notifications, etc.), webpages utilizing rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited websites for deceptive/malicious content. Additionally, it can block further access to these webpages.