How to spot scams like the fake "$energy Airdrop"

What is "$energy Airdrop" scam?

Our team has inspected the website (airdropsalerts[.]bar) and concluded that it is a fraudulent platform promoting a bogus airdrop. It offers unsuspecting visitors free cryptocurrency as a lure. If users interact with the site, they risk losing their cryptocurrency holdings. Thus, this website should be avoided.

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 "$energy Airdrop" in detail

This scam website claims to host a live energy airdrop. It claims that community engagement and ongoing activity supposedly increase the visibility of their wallet addresses for future rewards. The page offers the same checks used in past airdrops and offers step-by-step tasks that users can complete to improve eligibility.

It urges visitors to tap a button labeled "Check Eligibility", supposedly to audit their address and receive personalized instructions. This scheme is designed to convince users to interact with the site and participate in an airdrop. However, there is no actual giveaway.

The site is created to trick visitors into connecting their wallets to "claim" $energy tokens. Once someone connects their wallet, the site triggers a malicious tool designed to empty it. This tool transfers cryptocurrency from the user's wallet into addresses owned by the attackers.

Because blockchain transfers are final and irreversible, once cryptocurrency is taken, it is typically gone for good. Thus, it is important for users to verify the legitimacy of any site offering cryptocurrency or other crypto-related rewards before connecting their wallets.

Conclusion

This website is a scam that attempts to trick users into connecting their wallets by promising free crypto. However, connecting a wallet allows attackers to steal cryptocurrency, which cannot be recovered, making it a permanent loss. Thus, this and similar platforms should not be trusted.

Examples of similar scams are "Phantom Airdrop Scam", "Sol Incinerator Token Burn Scam", and "Fake RUG AI V2 Website".

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto scams are often found on compromised WordPress sites or pushed using fake (or stolen) social media accounts on platforms like Facebook and Twitter/X. Scammers may also distribute them through malicious emails, deceptive notifications, adware, or misleading links, buttons, and ads on dubious websites.

These fraudulent pages can also be opened when visiting sites that rely on untrustworthy ad networks. Such networks are commonly used on torrent sites, illegal streaming platforms, adult websites, and other high-risk pages.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Keep your operating system and installed programs up to date. Run regular scans using reliable antivirus software. Be careful with unsolicited and irrelevant emails and messages, especially those containing attachments or links - do not open those files or links. Download software only from trusted sources, such as official websites or app stores.

Avoid clicking on pop-ups, ads, or other content on suspicious websites, and do not agree to receive notifications from websites that appear shady. 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 "$energy Airdrop" scam (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake $energy 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?

A fake crypto airdrop is a scam that pretends to give free cryptocurrency to users, often requiring them to connect their wallet or complete other steps. In reality, there is no giveaway.

What is the purpose of a crypto airdrop?

Scammers often push users to connect their wallets, disclose private keys or seed phrases, send funds, or perform other actions. Their goal is always the same: to steal cryptocurrency.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Crypto scams can be encountered via hijacked WordPress sites, fake or stolen social media accounts, and through malicious emails, ads, or deceptive links. They are also promoted using sites that employ untrustworthy ad networks, such as torrent sites, illegal streaming platforms, and adult websites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner scans websites for risky or suspicious content, detecting scam pages and alerting users about potential threats.