How to identify fake "Merkl Rewards" websites

What is the fake "Merkl Rewards" website?

Our researchers discovered a fake Merkl webpage promising bogus rewards. It impersonates the Merkl platform (app.merkl.xyz) and lures users into exposing their digital wallets to a crypto drainer – an automated mechanism that siphons funds from exposed 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 "Merkl Rewards" website overview

We found this scam promoted on app.claim-merkle[.]xyz, yet it could be hosted on different domains as well. This page is a close visual imitation of the official Merkl website (app.merkl.xyz). Merkl is described as an incentive and point management platform offering various investment opportunities. The deceptive webpage instructs users to connect their wallets and claim DeFi rewards.

It must be emphasized that these rewards are fake, and this scam is not associated with the Merkl platform or any other existing projects or entities.

When a cryptowallet is connected to this site, the action signs a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. Basically, the victim's funds are transferred to scammer-owned wallets through automated transactions. Some drainers can roughly estimate the value of digital assets and determine which to steal first. This activity may appear innocuous and remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time.

It has to be mentioned that due to the practically untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions, they cannot be reversed. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Merkl Rewards" webpage are unable to recover the stolen funds.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

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Aside from using draining mechanisms, scams that target digital currencies commonly do so by phishing for wallet log-in credentials or by deceiving users into manually transferring assets to wallets in the scammers' possession.

It is not uncommon for online scams to be poorly put together and riddled with various errors. However, these scams can be competently created and convincingly disguised as content associated with legitimate entities. In fact, crypto scams are notorious for utilizing perfect visual copies of existing sites.

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are often promoted through intrusive pop-up adverts (a type of malvertising). These advertisements may be fully functional drainers themselves (i.e., capable of executing draining scripts). It is noteworthy that these pop-ups have been encountered on legitimate websites that have been hacked.

Social media spam is also widely used in crypto scam promotion. These posts and direct/private messages (DMs/PMs) can be made using accounts stolen from real companies, projects, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, and so on.

However, other endorsement techniques are not unlikely. Aside from those already mentioned, online scams are promoted via different types of spam (e.g., emails, forum posts, browser notifications, robocalls, cold calls, SMSes, etc.), webpages employing rogue advertising networks (redirects), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware (advertisements or redirects).

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to ensuring your online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, adverts, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Do not use sites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit suspect websites to display browser notifications; ignore or block their notification requests. Do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant emails and other messages.

Download only from official/trustworthy sources and be cautious during installation (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent dangerous software (such as adware) from infiltrating the system.

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 "Merkl Rewards" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Merkl website (app.merkl.xyz):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Merkl Rewards" 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 Web content designed to deceive users into performing certain actions. To elaborate, victims can be enticed into connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, sending money to scammers, providing sensitive information, downloading/installing software, buying products, subscribing to services, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue at their victims' expense. These cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., websites, programs, services, products, etc.), selling/abusing vulnerable information, and spreading malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are practically impossible to trace. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Merkl Rewards" site are unable to recover the stolen digital assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan every website that you visit for deceptive and malicious content. It is also capable of blocking all further access to sites hosting such content.