How to avoid scams like "$NEAR Points Allocation Checker"

What is the fake "$NEAR Points Allocation Checker"?

While inspecting suspicious pages, our researchers came across nearprotocol-checker[.]xyz, a website pretending to be tied to the NEAR Protocol. It promotes a fake "$NEAR Points Allocation Checker" and is built to drain cryptocurrency from wallets that connect to it.

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 Points billion in crypto to scams – that's about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method.

"$NEAR Points Allocation Checker" scam in detail

The legitimate NEAR Protocol (near.org) is a public, sharded, proof-of-stake blockchain platform that supports decentralized applications and smart contracts. The real project is not associated with the page on nearprotocol-checker[.]xyz in any way.

The fake page copies NEAR's branding and shows a banner titled "$NEAR Points Allocation Checker" along with the message "Users are Now Eligible to View This Seasons Points Progress." Visitors are encouraged to press the "Login to View" button to supposedly check their allocation.

Clicking that button opens a "Connect Wallet" dialog offering many popular wallets, including WalletConnect, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, OKX Wallet, Binance Wallet, Bitget Wallet, Rabby Wallet, TokenPocket, Bybit Wallet, Gate Wallet, Coinbase Wallet, Phantom, and Frame. There is no real "points checker" behind it.

Once a wallet is connected, the site activates a cryptocurrency wallet drainer. This is a malicious tool that quietly initiates transactions sending tokens and other assets from the victim's wallet to addresses owned by the scammers. Victims often realize their funds are gone only after the transfers have already happened.

Blockchain transactions cannot be reversed, so any cryptocurrency taken in this way is generally lost for good. It is important to verify that a platform is genuine before connecting a wallet and to ignore "checker" or "allocation" pages hosted on unofficial domains.

Conclusion

nearprotocol-checker[.]xyz is a fraudulent page that misuses the NEAR Protocol name and branding to lure users into connecting cryptocurrency wallets. Its real goal is to drain those wallets through an automated mechanism that fires as soon as the wallet is linked.

Many fake websites that copy the look of real crypto projects exist on the internet, and most of them follow this same playbook. Some examples of similar scams are "Apyx Token Launch Voting Reward", "Ledger Staking Rewards", and "Jupiter Allocation".

How did I open a scam website?

Scam pages of this kind are commonly pushed via hijacked WordPress sites, stolen or fake accounts on platforms like X and Facebook (often imitating crypto projects, celebrities, or well-known companies), and rogue advertising networks present on torrent sites, illegal streaming services, and other shady pages.

Users can also land on them by clicking links in phishing emails, deceptive ads, fake giveaway posts, or pop-ups, and by allowing notifications from untrustworthy websites. Adware on a device can also redirect browsers to fraudulent pages of this kind.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Keep your operating system, browser, and other applications up to date, and only download software from official websites or verified app stores. Avoid clicking links in unexpected emails, messages, or social media posts, and never open attachments from senders you do not recognize.

Be cautious with ads, pop-ups, and links on shady websites, and do not allow notifications from sites you do not 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 "$NEAR Points Allocation Checker" scam (GIF):

The official NEAR Protocol website (near.org):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is $NEAR Points Allocation Checker 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 website?

It is a page built to look like a real crypto project, exchange, or service. Scammers use it to convince visitors that they can claim rewards, check allocations, or use a legitimate tool, when the real purpose is to harvest funds or sensitive information.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

The goal is almost always financial. Operators of such scams steal cryptocurrency by draining connected wallets, tricking users into revealing seed phrases, or persuading victims to send funds directly to scammer-controlled addresses.

Why do I encounter fake websites?

Fraudulent pages are advertised through compromised or fake social media accounts, phishing emails, rogue advertising networks on shady sites, and misleading ads or pop-ups. Adware and intrusive browser notifications can also redirect users to them.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and warn users about suspicious or malicious pages, including those that host crypto scams. Acting on those warnings helps reduce the risk of connecting a wallet to a dangerous page.