How to spot scams like the fake "Santa Airdrop"

What is "Santa Airdrop" scam?

We have reviewed the site (santagifts[.]top) and found that it is a copy of the Santa Token website (santatokensol.io). It is designed to trick visitors into connecting their wallets to participate in an airdrop (to receive free tokens). The scammers behind it aim to steal cryptocurrency by draining 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 "Santa Airdrop" in detail

Santatokensol.io is the website for the Santa (SANTA) cryptocurrency project, a Christmas-themed token built on the Solana blockchain. The Santa token is marketed as a community-driven memecoin with a limited supply and aims for long-term engagement beyond just the holiday season. The fake page (santagifts[.]top) claims that individuals can receive tokens for free.

This site presents itself as an airdrop platform for the Santa token and other Solana projects. It claims users can track, participate in, and claim free crypto rewards. The page is designed to attract users interested in free tokens and attempts to trick them into connecting wallets. Overall, it imitates a legitimate airdrop.

If visitors connect their wallets, the deceptive website activates a cryptocurrency drainer, a malicious tool created to empty wallets by transferring cryptocurrency from the connected wallet to the wallet owned by fraudsters. As a result, users may lose all crypto holdings stored in the connected wallet within seconds.

These losses are usually permanent, as blockchain transactions cannot be reversed. Therefore, it is important to be careful with websites offering free cryptocurrency in exchange for connecting wallets, providing personal information, or making transactions. It is highly advisable to ensure a site is legitimate before interacting with it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the fake mimics the original platform to appear legitimate while promoting a fraudulent airdrop. Its real purpose is to trick users into connecting wallets and stealing their cryptocurrency. Users should avoid such pages and only trust verified, official sources.

Additional examples of similar scams are "Unlock Solana Event", "VOOI Airdrop Scam", and "Brevis Snapshot Scam".

How did I open a scam website?

Scams are commonly spread through deceptive content hosted on suspicious websites. These pages can display fake buttons, pop-ups, advertisements, and links to lure users into clicking or interacting with them. Fraudsters also misuse hacked WordPress sites and fake or compromised social media accounts on platforms such as Facebook and X (Twitter) to distribute scams.

Moreover, users can be lured into unsafe pages after clicking malicious links in emails, allowing fraudulent browser notifications, or engaging with ads pushed by adware. Scams can also be encountered through rogue advertising networks, which are often present on torrent websites, illegal streaming platforms, and similar services.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Always keep the operating system and installed applications up to date, and run regular scans using reliable security software. Software should only be downloaded from official websites or well-known app stores to avoid unwanted or malicious programs. Users should ignore pop-ups, ads, and interactive elements on suspicious websites and must never allow unknown pages to send browser notifications.

Additionally, it is advisable to be cautious when receiving unexpected or unrelated emails and messages, particularly from unknown senders. Links or attachments in such messages should not be opened. 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 "Santa Airdrop" scam (GIF):

The original Santa website (santatokensol.io):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Santa token 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 fraudulent crypto airdrop tricks users by claiming they can receive free cryptocurrency for completing tasks like wallet connections.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

The purpose of these scams is to steal cryptocurrency from victims. Scammers commonly attempt to gain access to wallets or manipulate users into transferring funds.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Scams often spread through suspicious websites, fake pop-ups, ads, and links, as well as hacked WordPress sites and compromised social media accounts. Users can also be redirected to unsafe pages via malicious email links, fake notifications, or adware. Rogue advertising networks on torrent sites, illegal streaming platforms, and similar services are additional ways to push scams.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner scans websites for threats, detects suspicious activity or scams, and warns users of potential risks.