How to spot scams like "TOBY ($TBY) Airdrop"

What kind of scam is "TOBY ($TBY) Airdrop"?

Our analysis reveals that join-tbysol[.]xyz is a fraudulent website that mimics the original Toby site (tobyrobot.com). The fake page lures unsuspecting visitors with a cryptocurrency giveaway. Victims of this scam may have their crypto holdings stolen. Thus, this fake site 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 "TOBY ($TBY) Airdrop" in detail

Tobyrobot.com is a cryptocurrency project tied to a token called TOBY ($TBY), which is associated with the Solana blockchain. The site is used to promote the token, explains how to buy it, and includes links to social media and trading tools. The fake website (join-tbysol[.]xyz) promotes a $TBY airdrop.

The site encourages visitors to get a direct $TBY airdrop and never miss out on free crypto rewards. It also offers to track, participate, and claim airdrops from top blockchain projects across the Solana ecosystem and pushes visitors to act immediately. The goal is to trick visitors into connecting their wallets.

If visitors connect their wallets, they unknowingly execute a malicious tool designed to drain their wallets. This drainer automatically sends crypto from the connected wallet to the scammer's wallet. If scammers steal cryptocurrency, victims usually cannot get it back because blockchain transactions cannot be undone.

For this reason, users should avoid unofficial websites, especially those claiming to offer free cryptocurrency through giveaways or airdrops. Interacting with such sites can lead to losing a significant amount of cryptocurrency.

Similar scams in general

These scam websites often pose as legitimate cryptocurrency projects or airdrop promotions to trick users into connecting their wallets. Once connected, malicious tools can steal funds, and due to the irreversible nature of blockchain transactions, stolen cryptocurrency is usually unrecoverable.

There are numerous similar scams. Some examples are "OpenChat ($CHAT) Token Airdrop Scam", "HumidiFi Airdrop", and "Xmas Cult (XMAS) Airdrop Scam".

How did I open a scam website?

Cryptocurrency scams are often distributed through fake or compromised social media accounts on platforms like Facebook and Twitter/X, as well as through hacked WordPress websites. Users can also be tricked into visiting these fraudulent sites through misleading ads, pop-ups, or deceptive buttons on suspicious websites.

In addition, scammers use deceptive notifications delivered by untrustworthy pages, phishing emails, and malicious ad networks as a lure. Those networks can be present on torrent sites, illegal streaming platforms, adult websites, and other sites of this kind.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Be careful with emails or messages from unknown senders, and never open unexpected or irrelevant links and attachments. Avoid interacting with suspicious websites that request notification permissions, and do not click on pop-ups, ads, or other clickable elements on untrustworthy pages.

Download programs and files from trusted sources, such as official websites or reputable app stores. Regularly update your operating system and installed applications, and use reliable security software to scan your device. 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 "TOBY ($TBY) Airdrop" scam (GIF):

The original Toby website (tobyrobot.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake TOBY ($TBY) 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 away free cryptocurrency tokens to users. However, victims never receive tokens and risk compromising their wallets or personal information.

What is the purpose of a crypto airdrop?

The goal of these scams is to steal cryptocurrency by manipulating victims into sharing wallet access, revealing keys, or transferring crypto.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Scams are commonly spread through fake or stolen social media accounts, compromised websites, misleading ads, pop-ups, and deceptive buttons. Scammers also use phishing emails, malicious browser notifications, and ad networks found on torrent sites, illegal streaming platforms, adult sites, and other risky websites to lure victims.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner reviews websites for unsafe elements, identifies scams, and provides alerts when threats are found.