How to identify fake "Cupsey Airdrop" websites

What is the fake "Cupsey Airdrop" website?

While investigating dubious websites, our research team discovered this fake "Cupsey" airdrop. It is not associated with the Cupsey token or any other existing projects. The goal of this scam is to lure users into exposing their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer.

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 "Cupsey Airdrop" website overview

We discovered this scam on cupsey-register[.]com – however, it could also be hosted on other domains. The fraudulent webpage states that early adopters and community members can claim Cupsey tokens. Cupsey is a memecoin based on Solana; it (and its plush toy) serves as the mascot of the PumpFun memecoin trading platform.

It must be emphasized that this airdrop is fake and in no way affiliated with the Cupsey token/mascot, the PumpFun platform, or any other existing projects or entities.

Once a digital wallet is connected to this deceptive page, the action signs a malicious contract. It activates the crypto drainer – a mechanism that siphons funds from cryptocurrency wallets.

Drainers may be able to roughly estimate the value of digital assets and determine which to steal first. These automated transactions might appear innocuous and remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time.

It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible due to their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of such scams cannot retrieve the stolen assets.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

We have written about countless crypto scams. There are three primary types: drainers that steal funds from exposed wallets, social engineering that deceives users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets, and phishing that targets wallet log-in credentials.

"ZenChain Rewards", fake "Solana Seeker" website, "Lista DAO Airdrop", "Merkl Rewards", fake "Chainbase Staking" website, and "Audius ($AUDIO) Airdrop" are just some of our latest articles on drainers.

How did I open a scam website?

Online scams are primarily promoted through intrusive advertisements, spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, social media posts, PMs/DMs, SMSes, robocalls, cold calls, etc.), webpages that use rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, and adware.

Crypto drainers are often endorsed via intrusive pop-up ads. Some are fully functional drainers and lure users into connecting their wallets by promising incredible boons. These adverts may be encountered on legitimate sites that have been hacked.

Another prevalent promotional technique is social media spam. These posts and private/direct messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, and others.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, pay attention to URLs and enter them with care. Be wary of websites, ads, and messages that make unbelievable promises or urge immediate action against severe threats.

Do not use sites offering pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually utilize rogue advertising networks. Do not permit suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or block their notification requests.

Do not open attachments or links found in suspect/irrelevant mail. Download only 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 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 "Cupsey Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Cupsey shop website (cupseyshop.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

• What is "Cupsey 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 Web content intended to deceive victims into performing certain actions. For example, victims can be enticed into connecting digital wallets to drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing private data, purchasing products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing software, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at their victims' expense. These scammers primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content, abusing/selling sensitive data, and proliferating malware.

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

No, cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible. They are practically impossible to trace – hence, victims of such scams are unable to recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are predominantly encountered via sites employing rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., social media posts, PMs/DMs, emails, browser notifications, calls, SMSes, etc.), intrusive advertisements, misspelled URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for deceptive/malicious content and restrict all further access to such pages.