How to avoid falling for the "Apyx Token Launch Voting Reward Scam"

What is the "Apyx Token Launch Voting Reward Scam"?

During our investigation of suspicious cryptocurrency sites, our team came across apyx[.]team - a fraudulent page promoting a fake "APYX Token Launch" voting event. The site claims visitors can earn rewards by casting a "Genesis Vote," but it is actually designed to steal cryptocurrency by tricking users into connecting their digital 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.

"Apyx Token Launch Voting Reward Scam" in detail

The legitimate Apyx platform (apyx.fi) is a decentralized finance protocol. It allows users to stake tokens, participate in governance voting, and earn protocol fees. APYX is its native governance token.

The fraudulent site at apyx[.]team impersonates this platform with a fake "Genesis Vote" for the APYX token launch. It promises a "2× Genesis Allocation" and "permanent Founding Voter status" to those who vote before May 26. A fake progress counter showing 3,241 of 5,000 "Genesis seats" filled is used to manufacture urgency.

Clicking "Cast Your Genesis Vote" opens a cryptocurrency wallet connection dialog. The site supports over 27 wallets, including MetaMask, Trust Wallet, WalletConnect, OKX Wallet, and Binance Wallet. Once a wallet is connected, a drainer tool activates that transfers the victim's cryptocurrency to a wallet controlled by the scammers.

Since blockchain transactions cannot be reversed, stolen funds are almost always lost permanently. Users should confirm a platform's authenticity before connecting a wallet. The real Apyx protocol is available only at apyx.fi.

Conclusion

The site at apyx[.]team is a fraudulent page that impersonates the official Apyx protocol to lure users with a fake governance voting event. Its purpose is to steal cryptocurrency from visitors who connect their wallets.

Such scams are common in the cryptocurrency space. Some examples of similar scams are "Ledger Staking Rewards", "Avantis ($AVNT) Airdrop", and "KAIO Allocation".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers commonly distribute fraudulent cryptocurrency pages through hijacked social media accounts and fabricated profiles impersonating known developers, influencers, or official project teams. Such posts promoting fake voting events or token launches can spread quickly on platforms like X, Telegram, and Discord.

Malicious ads, deceptive pop-ups, or links on untrustworthy websites - such as torrent sites and illegal streaming services - can also redirect users to these pages. Adware-generated content and phishing emails containing links are additional common entry points.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Keep your operating system and all applications updated, and only install software from official or verified sources. Be wary of unexpected emails with links or attachments, and avoid interacting with suspicious ads or pop-ups while browsing unfamiliar websites.

Never connect a wallet or enter personal details on a site you have not independently verified as official. Do not grant notification permissions to websites you do not fully trust. 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 "Apyx Token Launch Voting Reward Scam" (GIF):

The official Apyx website (apyx.fi):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Apyx Token Launch Voting Reward crypto drainer scam?
• 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 voting rewards scam?

These scams promise token allocations or governance rewards to convince users they are participating in a legitimate event. They are typically styled to resemble official project announcements and designed to look credible.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

The goal is to steal cryptocurrency. This is commonly done by activating a drainer when a wallet is connected, tricking users into revealing their seed phrase, or convincing victims to send funds directly to the scammers.

Why do I encounter fake websites?

Fraudulent sites are promoted through stolen or fake social media accounts, phishing emails, and rogue ad networks. Misleading ads, pop-ups, and links found on unsafe websites can also redirect users to scam pages.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner can identify and flag suspicious or malicious websites, including those used to run cryptocurrency scams. It alerts users before they interact with harmful pages, reducing the risk of wallet drains or data theft.