How to identify scams like the "Fake Kintara Website Scam"

What is the "Fake Kintara Website Scam"?

While investigating dubious websites, our researchers came across kintaras[.]app, a fraudulent page imitating the legitimate Kintara gaming platform. The site promotes a fake reward scheme, claiming users can earn $KINS by connecting their wallets. It is, in fact, a cryptocurrency drainer designed to steal digital assets from its visitors.

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.

Fake "Kintara" website overview

Kintara (kintara.gg) is an isometric massively multiplayer online (MMO) game built around the $KINS token. Players can earn, buy, and sell within the game world, complete quests, and explore alongside other users.

Kintaras[.]app is a near-identical copy of the official site, using the same game artwork and branding. The key difference is its main message: "Earn With KINTARA - The reward pool is live. Every $KINS you hold counts toward your share." Visitors are invited to click "Claim Rewards" to proceed.

Clicking "Claim Rewards" or "Connect Wallet" opens a wallet connection dialog built on the Reown (WalletConnect) toolkit. It lists more than 48 supported cryptocurrency wallets, including Phantom, MetaMask, Solflare, Jupiter, Ledger, and BackPack.

Once a wallet is connected, a drainer is triggered that automatically transfers the victim's funds to a wallet controlled by the attackers - with no prior warning and no way to reverse the transfer after it has been confirmed on the blockchain.

Always confirm a website's domain before connecting any wallet. The real Kintara game is hosted at kintara.gg - any page at a different domain making similar promises should be treated as suspicious.

Conclusion

Kintaras[.]app is a fraudulent site that copies the Kintara platform's design to deceive visitors. Its only real function is to activate a cryptocurrency drainer when users connect their wallets, stealing their digital assets immediately and permanently.

Many similar fake websites exist online, usually copying popular crypto platforms with near-identical designs. Some examples of similar scams are "Polymarket Community Rewards", "Flare Voting Rewards", and "Red Kitten Crew ($RKC) Airdrop".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers distribute fake gaming and crypto websites primarily through stolen or fabricated social media accounts. Platforms such as X and Discord are popular targets, where attackers impersonate official project accounts or community moderators to share fraudulent links.

Users can also stumble across these pages through deceptive ads on torrent sites and illegal streaming platforms, phishing emails, push notifications from untrusted websites, and adware-generated redirects.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Keep your operating system and all installed software up to date, and download programs only from official developer websites or trusted app stores. Be cautious with unsolicited emails - do not click links or open attachments unless you are certain of the sender's identity.

Avoid interacting with ads or pop-ups on unreliable pages, and do not allow push notification permissions 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 the "Fake Kintara Website Scam" (GIF):

The official Kintara website (kintara.gg):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Kintara.gg Website?
• 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?

A fake cryptocurrency website imitates a legitimate crypto platform or project to deceive visitors. Scammers copy the real site's design and branding to appear trustworthy, then prompt users to connect wallets or enter sensitive details to steal their funds.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

Their purpose is to steal cryptocurrency. This is typically done by activating a drainer after a wallet connection, tricking users into revealing seed phrases, or getting victims to approve transactions that quietly transfer their funds to the scammers.

Why do I encounter fake websites?

Fake sites are promoted through stolen social media accounts, phishing emails, rogue ad networks, and deceptive pop-ups or links on unreliable pages. Push notifications from untrustworthy sites are also a frequently used distribution method.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner can detect and flag suspicious or malicious websites, including those operating as cryptocurrency drainer scams. When a dangerous page is identified, Combo Cleaner warns the user before they can interact with it, reducing the risk of financial loss.