How to avoid getting scammed by fake "Surge" airdrops

What is the fake "Surge Airdrop" website?

Our researchers discovered this fake "Surge" airdrop while browsing dubious websites. Upon examination, we determined that this giveaway is a scam that is not affiliated with the actual Surge platform. This page operates as a cryptocurrency drainer – by siphoning funds from exposed digital wallets.

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 "Surge Airdrop" website overview

We discovered this scam on surge.x-sol[.]trade, but it could be hosted on other domains as well. This webpage bears Surge's logo and promotes an official SURGE token airdrop. Surge is a decentralized platform that tokenizes startups – essentially, it allows companies in the AI (Artificial Intelligence) sphere to raise funds from the public.

It must be stressed that this bogus airdrop is not associated with Surge or any other existing platforms, projects, or entities. Once a user connects their cryptowallet to this scam page, they inadvertently sign a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. It is a mechanism that steals assets from exposed wallets.

These outgoing transactions are automated and may appear vague, so they might remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and determine which to prioritize stealing.

It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are practically impossible to trace. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Surge Airdrop" website cannot retrieve their funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

We have analyzed numerous online scams; "Niche Baby ($BABY) Airdrop", "TOBY ($TBY) Airdrop", "USACoin Airdrop", "Wojak Airdrop", and "OpenChat ($CHAT) Token Airdrop" are merely some of our newest articles on drainers.

Widespread crypto scam types include drainers that steal assets from exposed wallets, phishing that targets wallet log-in credentials, and social engineering that tricks users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

The Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. Online scams can be believably crafted and even convincingly disguised as content affiliated with legitimate entities. Therefore, be vigilant when browsing and investing online.

How did I open a scam website?

Cryptocurrency drainers are often endorsed via a type of malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up ads. They may be fully functional drainers themselves and lure users into linking digital wallets by promising incredible boons. These adverts may be encountered on legitimate websites that have been compromised.

Another prevalent promotional method is social media spam. These posts and direct/private messages can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real projects, companies, organizations, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, etc.). If the promoted scam aligns with the content ordinarily posted by the account – this creates an incredible impression of legitimacy.

Other promotional techniques are not unlikely. Aside from those already mentioned, online scams are also endorsed through different types of spam (e.g., emails, forum posts, browser notifications, SMSes, cold calls/ robocalls, etc.), webpages using rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We highly recommend caution to ensure your online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, advertisements, and communications making promises that sound too good to be true. Take note of URLs and enter them carefully.

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

Be cautious with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail. Download only from official/verified sources and be attentive during installation (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software from infiltrating your 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 "Surge Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Surge website (surge.xyz):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Surge Airdrop" 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. These scams aim to trick users into performing certain actions, such as connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, making monetary transactions, disclosing vulnerable information, downloading/installing software, buying products, subscribing to services, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. Cyber criminals predominantly profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), abusing/selling private data, and spreading malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are nearly untraceable. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Surge Airdrop" site cannot retrieve their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are mainly promoted via sites using rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), intrusive advertisements, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

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