How to recognize fake "SimpleX Chat" websites

What is the fake "SimpleX Chat" website?

During a routine investigative session, our researchers discovered this fake "SimpleX Chat" webpage. It impersonates the SimpleX Chat's official site (simplex.chat) and promises boons to founding users. The scam's goal is to deceive users into exposing their digital wallets to a crypto 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 "SimpleX Chat" website overview

We found this imitator page on simplexspot[.]com, but it could be hosted on other domains as well. As mentioned in the introduction, this webpage masquerades as the official website of SimpleX Chat (simplex.chat) – a free messaging service centered on maximum privacy. This chat app relies on minimal metadata, forgoing phone number registration, user IDs, and other identifying information.

It must be reiterated that this scam is not associated with the actual SimpleX Chat Ltd or any other existing services, projects, platforms, or entities.

The fake webpage states that those who become founding users will have perpetual access to the communication network. By linking their cryptowallets to the scam, victims unintentionally sign a malicious contract. It facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer – a mechanism that siphons digital assets from exposed wallets.

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

It has to be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions are practically impossible to trace. Thus, they cannot be reversed – making victims of such scams incapable of retrieving their funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"RizzmasCTO Airdrop", "Life AI Airdrop", and "Railgun Rewards" are merely a couple of our newest articles on drainers. There are three primary modus operandi for crypto scams: utilizing draining mechanisms to steal assets from wallets, tricking users into manually transferring funds to wallets in the scammers' possession, and phishing for wallet log-in credentials.

Due to how widespread scams are online and how well-disguised they can be – we highly recommend vigilance when browsing and investing on the Internet.

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are commonly promoted through intrusive pop-up advertisements (a type of malvertising). The pop-ups may be fully functional drainers themselves; they lure users into linking cryptowallets by promising various benefits. These ads have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been compromised.

Social media spam is another prevalent endorsement technique. The promotional posts and direct/private messages can be made using hacked accounts (e.g., ones originally belonging to real projects, companies, organizations, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, etc.).

Other techniques are possible. Aside from those already mentioned, online scams are also promoted via different spam types (e.g., emails, browser notifications, forum posts, SMSes, cold calls, robocalls, etc.), webpages using rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We strongly advise exercising caution to ensure your online safety. Therefore, pay attention to URLs and enter them with care. Be wary of sites, ads, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true.

Do not use websites that offer pirated programs/media or other dubious services (e.g., torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are typically monetized through rogue advertising networks. Do not permit suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.).

Do not open attachments or links found in questionable/irrelevant emails and other messages. Download only from official/verified channels and be attentive when installing (e.g., read terms, explore options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful software from infiltrating the system.

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 "SimpleX Chat" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official SimpleX Chat website (simplex.chat):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Fake SimpleX Chat 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 a type of deceptive content promoted on the Web. The goal is to deceive users into performing specific actions, such as connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, making monetary transactions, revealing sensitive information, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at the expense of their victims. Scammers primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content, abusing/selling private information, and spreading malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are nearly impossible to trace. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "SimpleX Chat" page cannot retrieve the stolen funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Prevalent promotional methods include: intrusive ads, sites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, social media posts, PMs/DMs, etc.), mistyped URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. It can also block all further access to these sites.