How to identify scams like the fake "Aster Allocation"

What is the fake "Aster Allocation" site?

Our analysis shows that aster-shares[.]com is a deceptive page imitating the original Aster website (asterdex.com). The scammers behind the fraudulent page seek to steal cryptocurrency from victims. Their goal is to trick visitors into unknowingly activating 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.

"Aster Allocation" scam website in detail

Aster (asterdex.com) is a decentralized exchange formed after the merger of Astherus and APX Finance. The platform offers secure, high-performance, and user-friendly perpetual trading, with features like one-click trading, smart automation, and deep on-chain liquidity. Aster is focused on providing a seamless, efficient, and truly decentralized DeFi experience.

The scam website (aster-shares[.]com) promotes an "Allocation Shares Update". It claims to provide results for Phase 2 of Aster's allocation shares process. The site also displays statistics, including a total trading volume of $519 billion and two million users, to appear legitimate. It encourages visitors to check their allocations.

Interacting with the site leads to a request to connect a wallet. By doing so, users unknowingly trigger a cryptocurrency drainer, which enables scammers to transfer all funds from the connected wallet to their own accounts. Since blockchain transactions cannot be reversed, any stolen cryptocurrency cannot be recovered.

To prevent cryptocurrency theft, it is important to carefully check websites, especially those promising free tokens, before connecting a wallet (or taking other action).

Conclusion

The scam site impersonates the Aster platform to steal cryptocurrency from unsuspecting users. By luring visitors with fake allocation updates, it tricks them into connecting their wallets, allowing scammers to drain funds. Users should always verify websites and avoid connecting wallets to untrusted platforms to avoid cryptocurrency theft or other issues.

Examples of similar scams are "MasterBOT ($BOT) Airdrop", "APRO ($AT) Airdrop", and "Bonus For Solana Users".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers create fake social media accounts (on Twitter/X or Facebook) or steal existing ones, or hack WordPress websites to spread their scams. Scams are also promoted through deceptive notifications from dubious pages, misleading emails with links or attachments, and shady advertising networks on torrent sites, adult pages, or similar platforms.

Adware and advertisements, pop-ups, links, and buttons on questionable websites can also be used to trick users into opening fraudulent pages.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Get software and files from official websites or trusted app stores. Avoid pirated programs, cracks, or key generators. Be extra cautious with emails or messages from unknown sources - do not click links or open attachments you were not expecting. Do not interact with ads, links, buttons, and pop-ups on dubious websites.

Never let unsafe sites send notifications. Keep your system and apps up to date, and run regular scans with trustworthy security software. 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 "Aster Allocation" scam (GIF):

The original Aster website (asterdex.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Aster Allocation 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?

It is a scam that deceives users by presenting false offers (e.g., giveaways), investment opportunities, updates, or other content.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

Scammers typically use these schemes to access personal information, extract cryptocurrency, or drain victims' crypto wallets.

Why do I encounter fake scams?

Scam websites can be opened through fake ads, misleading links, fraudulent emails, fake social media posts, and notifications from untrustworthy sites. They are also distributed via rogue advertising networks, often appearing on torrent sites, adult platforms, and illegal streaming websites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner scans websites for malicious content, such as scam pages, and alerts users while preventing access to unsafe sites.