How to spot scams like the fake "United States Crypto Reserve ($USCR) Airdrop"

What is "United States Crypto Reserve ($USCR)" scam?

Our team has inspected the website (uscr[.]lat) and found that it promotes a fake cryptocurrency airdrop, supposedly launched by the United States Crypto Reserve. Its purpose is to trick visitors into believing that they can receive cryptocurrency. Falling for this scam can result in the theft of the victim's cryptocurrency holdings.

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.

"United States Crypto Reserve ($USCR)" scam in detail

The website, uscr[.]lat (other domains also related to this scam are register-uscr[.]xyz, uscrgov[.]trade, and uscr-gov[.]com), claims to run the United States Crypto Reserve airdrop. It encourages visitors to join the exclusive airdrop and claim $USCR tokens. It also claims that this is a limited-time opportunity.

The goal is to trick users into connecting their wallets. After connecting a wallet, uscr[.]lat or the associated scam website launches a cryptocurrency drainer. This drainer is designed to steal cryptocurrency from the connected wallet by sending it to the scammer's wallet.

Unfortunately, in most cases, stolen crypto cannot be recovered. Once it is transferred to the scammer's wallet, it is lost permanently, unless fraudsters return it. Thus, falling for scams like this one can result in a significant cryptocurrency loss. It is important to examine websites offering cryptocurrency before interacting with them.

Conclusion

This scam involves multiple domains to trick users into connecting their wallets, allowing a cryptocurrency drainer to steal their funds. Once stolen, the crypto is usually unrecoverable. Users should always verify the legitimacy of any site before connecting a wallet, sending crypto, or disclosing personal details.

Examples of similar scams are "Fake SunPerp Website", "Ripple (XRP) Airdrop", and "ZKsync ($ZK) Airdrop".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers may hijack existing social media profiles or create fake ones to send fraudulent messages on platforms like Facebook and X (Twitter). Compromised WordPress sites are also used to host scam pages and spread malicious content. Sometimes, scammers can use adware.

Users can also be tricked into visiting dubious web pages through misleading ads, fake buttons, links, or other content on questionable websites. Additionally, scam pages can be accessed through deceptive emails, notifications from suspicious websites, or malicious advertising networks commonly found on torrent sites, illegal movie streaming services, adult content pages, and similar locations.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Keep your operating system and applications up to date, and regularly scan your device with trusted security software. Be wary of unexpected or suspicious emails and messages, and avoid opening any attachments or clicking links they contain. Only download programs or files from official websites or reputable app stores

When browsing, avoid clicking on ads, pop-ups, buttons, or links encountered on shady web pages, and never allow these sites to send notifications. 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 the uscr[.]lat site (GIF):

Another variant (register-uscr[.]xyz):

Screenshot of the real United States Crypto Reserve ($USCR) website (uscr.xyz):

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake United States Crypto Reserve ($USCR) 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?

In many crypto airdrop scams, fraudsters lure users with offers of free tokens or bonuses, only to deceive them into performing actions that lead to the theft of their funds.

What is the purpose of a crypto giveaway?

These scams trick people into connecting their wallets or sharing private keys, letting scammers steal all their crypto.

Why do I encounter scams?

Scammers often promote scams through misleading ads or other content on unsafe websites, hacked pages, and fake or compromised social media accounts. Users may also encounter scams via deceptive emails, fake notifications from suspicious sites, or dubious ad networks on platforms offering torrents, illegal streaming, or other shady sites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner identifies deceptive or harmful online content and blocks access to such sites.