How to identify drainer sites like the "Aave Asset Recovery Scam"

What is the "Aave Asset Recovery Scam"?

While examining suspicious websites, our researchers came across claiming-campaign[.]com, a fraudulent page posing as the official Aave platform. The site falsely claims that users affected by a recent Aave attack can now recover their lost assets by connecting their wallet. In reality, it is a cryptocurrency drainer designed to steal funds from anyone who falls for the deception.

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.

"Aave Asset Recovery Scam" in detail

The real Aave platform (aave.com) is a widely used decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol that enables users to lend and borrow cryptocurrency without relying on a central authority. It is one of the most established lending protocols in the DeFi space.

The fake site at claiming-campaign[.]com mimics the visual style of the Aave interface and presents a banner stating that an "Aave Recovery Claim Window is Open." It tells visitors that users affected by a recent Aave attack can now claim their assets back by pressing the "Claim Now" button. No such attack or official recovery program exists.

Clicking "Claim Now" triggers a wallet connection dialog offering to link a range of popular cryptocurrency wallets - MetaMask, Trust Wallet, WalletConnect, OKX Wallet, Bybit Wallet, and more than 540 others. Once a visitor connects their wallet and approves the resulting transaction prompt, a crypto drainer is activated. It automatically transfers the victim's tokens and funds to a wallet controlled by the scammers.

Losses from scams like this are virtually impossible to recover. Blockchain transactions are irreversible by design, so any funds stolen through a drainer cannot be reclaimed once the transfer is confirmed on the network.

Before connecting a wallet to any platform, users should always verify they are on the official website. The legitimate Aave platform is accessible at aave.com. Any domain offering "recovery," "compensation," or similar unexpected benefits should be treated as suspicious until confirmed through official channels.

Conclusion

claiming-campaign[.]com is a fraudulent site that impersonates the Aave platform and invents a fake attack scenario to pressure visitors into connecting their cryptocurrency wallets. Once connected, a drainer tool transfers the victim's funds directly to the scammers. The entire recovery premise is fabricated.

Many similar scams exist, often built to closely resemble legitimate DeFi platforms. Some examples are "Scam 1", "Scam 2", and "Scam 3".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers commonly promote fake DeFi platforms through hijacked or fabricated social media accounts, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where impersonating well-known crypto projects is straightforward. Rogue advertising networks that operate on torrent sites, illegal streaming pages, and similar untrustworthy sources are also frequently used. In some cases, compromised legitimate websites are used to redirect unsuspecting visitors.

Users may also land on these pages after clicking links in phishing emails, interacting with ads generated by adware, or after granting push notification permissions to untrustworthy websites that later send deceptive alerts. Being aware of these delivery channels is an important first step toward avoiding them.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Download software only from official sources and keep your operating system and applications up to date. Be cautious with unsolicited emails, especially those containing links or attachments, even if the sender appears familiar. Any unexpected offer of compensation, free tokens, or wallet recovery should be verified through official project channels before taking any action.

Avoid clicking ads or pop-ups on questionable websites, and do not grant notification permissions to sites you do not fully trust. When accessing a cryptocurrency platform, always navigate directly to the known official domain rather than following links sent through social media, messaging apps, or email. 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 "Aave Asset Recovery Scam" (GIF):

The official Aave website (aave.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 Aave Asset Recovery 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 a fake cryptocurrency recovery scam?

A fake cryptocurrency recovery scam is a fraudulent website that falsely claims to help users recover funds lost in a hack or attack. These pages impersonate legitimate platforms to appear credible, but their actual purpose is to steal cryptocurrency from anyone who connects their wallet or provides sensitive information.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

The goal is to steal cryptocurrency. Scams like this trick users into connecting their wallets, at which point a drainer automatically transfers funds to the scammers' wallet. Because blockchain transactions are irreversible, victims typically have no way to recover what was taken.

Why do I encounter fake websites?

Fraudulent pages are spread through fake or compromised social media accounts, phishing emails, rogue advertising networks, and misleading links or pop-ups on unreliable websites. Some users also encounter them after allowing push notifications from untrustworthy sources that later deliver deceptive alerts.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan websites you visit and flag those identified as malicious or suspicious, including pages operating as cryptocurrency drainers. It will alert you before you have a chance to interact with them, helping you avoid potential financial losses.