How to identify scams like the fake "Avici Airdrop"

What is the fake "Avici Airdrop"?

Our team has inspected the website (getavici[.]today) and found that it is a fraudulent website designed to trick visitors into participating in a fake cryptocurrency giveaway (airdrop). Also, the site masquerades as the original Avici platform (avici.money) to appear legitimate. The purpose of this scam is to drain crypto 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 "Avici Airdrop" in detail

Avici (avici.money) is an online bank built around cryptocurrency that allows users to manage their finances like a regular bank. Its goal is to create a banking system that does not rely on central banks. Avici offers services such as credit cards, accounts for buying crypto, lending and borrowing, private transactions, and on-chain credit scores.

The fake website, getavici[.]today, claims to offer an exclusive $AVICI airdrop. It promises free cryptocurrency rewards and access to top blockchain projects on the Solana network. It encourages visitors to participate quickly and provides an option to track and claim the airdrop.

Generally, this scam site uses an offer to get $AVICI tokens for free as a lure. Its purpose is to trick visitors into connecting their wallets to "participate". Nevertheless, if a wallet is connected, a cryptocurrency drainer activates. This drainer is used to automatically transfer cryptocurrency from the connected wallet to the scammer's.

Losses in such scams are typically permanent, as blockchain transactions cannot be reversed. This makes it crucial to be very careful with websites that offer free cryptocurrency. Users should always check whether a site is legitimate before interacting with it.

Conclusion

Getavici[.]today is a fraudulent website impersonating Avici and offering a fake $AVICI airdrop to lure users. Its main goal is to trick visitors into connecting their cryptocurrency wallets, which then allows a wallet drainer to steal funds. Unofficial websites should never be trusted to avoid cryptocurrency theft or other negative outcomes.

More examples of similar scams are "Almanak Staking Launch Scam", "Santa Airdrop Scam", and "Unlock Solana Event Scam".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers running crypto scams often use hacked WordPress websites or fake (sometimes stolen) social media accounts on platforms like Facebook and X (Twitter) to send links to fraudulent websites. They also lure users to such sites through fake buttons, pop-ups, ads, and links on untrustworthy websites.

Also, users end up on unsafe sites after clicking malicious links in emails, allowing dubious pages to send notifications to their devices, or interacting with ads pushed by adware. Scam content is also spread through rogue ad networks, which are commonly used by torrent sites, illegal streaming pages, and similar risky websites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Users should only download software from official sources or well-known app stores, and make sure their operating system and apps are kept up to date. Running regular scans with reputable security software and avoiding opening links or files in irrelevant, unexpected emails from unknown senders is also advisable.

Additionally, users should ignore pop-ups, ads, and other elements on untrustworthy websites, and should never allow questionable sites to send browser notifications. 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 "Avici Airdrop" scam (GIF):

The original Avici website (avici.money):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Avici 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?

Scam airdrops lure victims with offers of free cryptocurrency and require wallet connections (or other actions) to participate.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

The goal of such schemes is to steal cryptocurrency from users, often by accessing their wallets or convincing them to transfer crypto.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Users are often directed to unsafe websites through malicious links in emails, fake notifications, or adware. Suspicious websites, pop-ups, ads, and links, along with hacked WordPress sites and compromised social media accounts, are also used to scams spread. Scammers also use rogue advertising networks found on torrent sites, illegal streaming platforms, and similar services to promote their schemes.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner analyzes websites for security threats, identifies suspicious behavior or scams, and alerts users.