How to identify scam sites like the fake Photon page

What is the fake Photon website?

Our team has discovered a fake Photon website (speedtrade[.]icu) designed to steal cryptocurrency from unsuspecting individuals. Scammers can steal crypto by tricking users into connecting their wallets. If this website is visited, it should be closed and never opened again. Falling for this scam can lead to monetary loss and possibly other issues.

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 Photon Website" in detail

The original Photon website is photon.tinyastro.io. Photon is a trading platform designed for quick token sniping and selling. It lets users discover new tokens based on their preferences, monitor their portfolio with real-time security updates, and trade with a speed advantage. By connecting a wallet, users can buy and sell tokens almost instantly.

The fake site closely mimics the real platform's design, making it hard for users to spot the difference. But once a wallet is connected, the site silently triggers a cryptocurrency drainer. Using this tool, scammers can instantly steal the user's funds. The drainer works by automatically transferring cryptocurrency from the victim's wallet to the scammer's.

Cryptocurrency stolen in scams is rarely recoverable because blockchain transactions cannot be reversed. Once funds are transferred to a scammer's wallet, they are typically gone permanently. This is why users must verify websites before interacting with them. It is advisable never to connect a wallet unless you are certain the site is legitimate.

Conclusion

Overall, this scam is a copy of another platform to trick users into connecting their wallets. Once they do, their cryptocurrency can be drained instantly and is almost always unrecoverable. Users should exercise caution, double-check URLs, and avoid connecting wallets to any site that appears suspicious.

Some examples of similar scams are "Fake HyperUnit Website", "Solana (SOL) Multiplier Scam", and "$energy Airdrop Scam".

How did I open a scam website?

Cybercriminals often distribute their scams through previously hacked websites, including many built on WordPress. They also promote crypto-related scams through social media (e.g., Twitter/X or Facebook), where stolen or fake accounts are used to spread links. Notifications from shady sites and ads, pop-ups, links, buttons on dubious pages, and deceptive emails can also be used to spread scams.

Users can also be redirected to fraudulent pages via sites that rely on questionable advertising networks. These networks are commonly found on torrent platforms, pirated streaming sites, adult content pages, and other potentially malicious sites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Steer clear of ads, pop-ups, and other clickable elements on questionable sites, and deny notification requests from pages that seem suspicious or unreliable. Make sure your operating system and programs are always up to date. Carefully examine unsolicited or irrelevant emails or messages, and avoid opening files or links in them.

Use official websites or app stores when downloading software or files. Also, use trusted security software and run routine scans. 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 fake Photon website (GIF):

The original Photon page (photon.tinyastro.io):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fraudulent copy of Photon site?
• 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 platform?

A fake crypto platform often involves a fraudulent website that pretends to let users buy, sell, or trade cryptocurrency but is actually designed to trick them into taking harmful actions that benefit scammers.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

The goal of these schemes is steal crypto by convincing users to reveal private keys, connect wallets, or send funds.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Cryptocurrency scams are often delivered through fake emails, misleading pop-ups, false alerts, deceptive links or buttons, and suspicious ads on untrustworthy websites. They can also be promoted via stolen or fake social media accounts. Hacked WordPress sites and rogue advertising networks, commonly present on torrent platforms, pirated streaming sites, or adult websites, may also be used to spread scams.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner helps protect users by spotting scam sites, issuing alerts, and blocking access to harmful web pages.