How to avoid scams like the fake "PYRA Airdrop"

What is "PYRA Airdrop" scam?

Our team has analysed the page (event-pyra[.]fun) and concluded that it imitates the original PYRA website, pyrachain.io. The fake site promotes a fake cryptocurrency giveaway, an airdrop to lure visitors into taking steps that could lead to permanent cryptocurrency loss. Thus, it is highly advisable to avoid visiting the fraudulent platform.

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.

"PYRA Airdrop" scam in detail

Pyra (pyrachain.io) is a blockchain network built on Solana's open‑source code that aims to offer fast transaction processing and support for decentralized applications, developers, validators, and community governance. Its native token is $PYRA. The fake site, event-pyra[.]fun claims that visitors can get $PYRA tokens for free.

The fraudulent site promotes a $PYRA airdrop and claims that users can join an exclusive giveaway to receive tokens. It presents the offer as a limited-time opportunity for early adopters and community members. The goal is to trick visitors into connecting their wallets.

After a wallet is connected, the site triggers a cryptocurrency drainer that empties the wallet by sending all funds to the scammer's wallet. Because blockchain transactions are irreversible, any stolen cryptocurrency cannot be recovered. This makes it crucial to verify the authenticity of any crypto giveaway before connecting wallets or interacting in any other way.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the fake site event-pyra[.]fun is a scam designed to steal cryptocurrency by tricking users into connecting their wallets. In most cases, victims of such scams cannot recover lost cryptocurrency. Thus, it is important to be careful when encountering offers to participate in airdrops.

Some examples of similar scams are "p0 Systems ($P0) Airdrop Scam", "ZREAL SUPER COIN Airdrop Scam", and "Fake Raydium Staking Website Scam".

How did I open a scam website?

Fraudsters often use compromised or fake social media accounts on platforms like Facebook and X, as well as hacked WordPress sites, to promote fraudulent content. Users can also be directed to scam websites through malicious advertising networks, which are commonly found on torrent sites, sites offering illegal streaming services, and similar websites.

Additionally, interacting with deceptive pop-ups, ads, buttons, or links on untrustworthy sites or opening links in phishing emails can lead users to fraudulent pages. Notifications from untrustworthy websites and adware can also expose users to scams.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Always download programs and files from official websites or trusted app stores. Keep your operating system and applications updated, and run regular scans with reliable security software. Be careful with unexpected emails or messages from unknown sources, and avoid opening attachments or clicking on links within them.

Do not allow notifications from untrustworthy websites, and do not click on ads, pop-ups, or links encountered on suspicious pages. 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 "PYRA Airdrop" scam (GIF):

The original PYRA website (pyrachain.io):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fraudulent $PYRA 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?

Such giveaways are fake and are designed to mislead users into expecting free crypto.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

These scams are typically aimed at stealing cryptocurrency. Attackers may use compromised login credentials to access and drain wallets, deploy wallet-draining tools, or deceive users into transferring their funds.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Cybercriminals often promote scams through fake social media profiles, compromised websites, and malicious advertising networks found on torrent, streaming, and similar platforms. Users may also end up on scam pages by clicking misleading ads, pop-ups, links, or other content on untrustworthy sites, opening phishing emails, or interacting with notifications from unreliable websites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner alerts users when they visit fraudulent or potentially harmful websites.