How to identify "MetaMask Identity Verification" scams

What is the fake "MetaMask Identity Verification" website?

Our researchers discovered the "MetaMask Identity Verification" phishing scam while browsing suspicious websites. It is presented as a MetaMask page for verifying user identity in order to set up interaction with digital currencies. The goal of this scam is to deceive victims into disclosing private data.

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 "MetaMask Identity Verification" website overview

This fake page is presented as an identity verification site for MetaMask wallets. It must be emphasized that this site is illegitimate and in no way associated with the actual MetaMask or its developer – Consensys Software Inc.

After the "Verify Now" button is pressed, the next page opened is "KYC Verification" (Know Your Customer/Client) and requests the user to select their country of residence and the type of the identifying document they will provide (i.e., ID card, passport, or driver's license). The following page asks for the user's full name, birthdate, and ID number. The final step is to upload two photographs of the ID. The following webpage is disguised as a sign-in page.

This scam aims to extract personally identifiable data, which can be used for a variety of nefarious purposes – including identity theft. The website may also record provided log-in credentials, which, due to frequent reuse of passwords, can compromise various online accounts.

To summarize, scams like "MetaMask Identity Verification" are associated with risks of severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have provided your personally identifiable or finance-related information to scammers – immediately contact relevant authorities. And if you've disclosed your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and contact their official support without delay.

Online scams in general

We have written about countless online scams. They can differ significantly in appearance and modus operandi. It boils down to deceiving users into performing certain actions with the end goal of generating revenue at their expense.

To elaborate, scams may aim to lure victims into disclosing private data (e.g., personally identifiable information, log-in credentials, credit card numbers, etc.), sending money to scammers, connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, downloading/installing programs, and so on.

Online scams are often poorly put together and full of various mistakes, but they can be competently made and even convincingly disguised as content affiliated with legitimate entities. Therefore, we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing on the Web.

How did I open a scam website?

Generally, online scams are endorsed through websites utilizing rogue advertising networks (redirects), spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, social media/ forum posts, PMs/DMs, robocalls, cold calls, SMSes, etc.), malvertising (intrusive ads), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware (advertisements or redirects).

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to ensuring your online safety. Therefore, pay attention to URLs and enter them with care. Be wary of sites, ads, and messages that make unbelievable promises or warn against severe threats.

Do not use websites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually utilize rogue advertising networks. Ignore or block browser notification delivery requests from dubious sites.

Do not open attachments or links present in suspicious/irrelevant emails and other messages. Download from official/verified sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., read terms, explore options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software (like adware) from infiltrating the device.

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 "MetaMask Identity Verification" website (GIF):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "MetaMask Identity Verification" phishing scam?
• 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 Web content. These scams aim to deceive users into performing specific actions, e.g., revealing sensitive data, connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, sending money to scammers, downloading/installing software, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. They primarily profit by abusing/selling private information, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), acquiring funds through deception, and proliferating malware.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by an online scam, what should I do?

If you have disclosed personally identifiable or finance-related data (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities. However, if you have provided your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support without delay.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are primarily encountered via websites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., browser notifications, emails, PMs/DMs, social media posts, etc.), intrusive adverts, misspelled URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited sites for deceptive and malicious content. It can also deny all further access to these websites.