How to identify scams like "Stacks sBTC Rewards Program"

What is the fake "Stacks sBTC Rewards Program"?

Our inspection has shown that this website (buttholewinn.pages[.]dev) imitates the original Stacks platform, stacks.co. It is designed to deceive visitors into believing that they can receive rewards by following the provided steps. However, there are no rewards, and falling for this scam can result in financial losses.

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.

"Stacks sBTC Rewards Program" scam in detail

Stacks (stacks.co) is a platform that provides a technology built on Bitcoin, enabling developers to create smart contracts and decentralized apps while leveraging Bitcoin's security. It adds new features to Bitcoin without altering it, opening up access to a huge amount of unused value.

The fake website, buttholewinn.pages[.]dev, promotes a fake sBTC rewards program. It offers to earn a yield of up to 5% on Bitcoin and encourages visitors to "earn rewards" through the provided button (link). Following the instructions on the site leads to a request to connect a wallet by entering a secret recovery phrase.

If visitors enter these details, scammers can steal them and access their wallets. Once they have accessed a wallet, they can empty it by transferring the victim's crypto holdings to their wallet. Blockchain transactions cannot be reversed, meaning stolen cryptocurrency is usually irrecoverable.

Users should ignore free token offers on unofficial pages and never connect wallets or share private details on them.

Conclusion

Buttholewinn.pages[.]dev is a fraudulent site that falsely claims to be associated with Stacks and promotes a fake sBTC rewards program. Its purpose is to trick users into entering personal information required to access wallets. The ultimate goal is to steal cryptocurrency from victims.

This and similar scams should be avoided. Some examples of similar scams are "Phantom Christmas Giveaway Scam", "MegaETH Registration Scam", and "Cupsey Airdrop Scam".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers often distribute fake websites through compromised WordPress pages, as well as stolen or fabricated social media accounts on platforms like Facebook and X. They also rely on malicious advertising networks, which are commonly present on torrent sites, illegal streaming services, and other unsafe websites.

In addition, users may encounter scams by clicking deceptive pop-ups, buttons, or links while browsing unreliable pages, opening links in phishing emails, interacting with adware-generated ads, or allowing notifications from untrustworthy websites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Keep your operating system and applications up to date, and only download software or files from official websites or trusted app stores. Use reputable security software to routinely scan your device and remove any potential threats. Do not trust unexpected emails or messages, especially from unfamiliar senders. Avoid clicking links or opening attachments in such messages.

Do not interact with suspicious ads, pop-ups, or links found on shady sites. Never enable notifications from untrusted websites. 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 "Stacks sBTC Rewards Program" scam (GIF):

The official Stacks website (stacks.co):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Stacks sBTC Rewards Program site?
• 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?

These scams aim to convince users that they can receive free cryptocurrency. They are usually presented as legitimate giveaways, exchanges, or similar-looking platforms to appear trustworthy.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

These scams usually steal cryptocurrency by draining connected wallets, tricking users into sharing login information, or manipulating victims into sending funds directly to the scammers.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Scammers spread fake websites through hacked WordPress sites, fake or stolen social media accounts, and malicious ad networks. Users may also encounter these scams via phishing emails, adware ads, deceptive pop-ups or links, and notifications from untrustworthy websites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner is capable of identifying potentially dangerous websites, including scam pages, and alerting users before they interact with them.