Avoid getting scammed by fake "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" websites

What is the fake "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop"?

After inspecting the "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop", as promoted on klay-foundation[.]com, we determined that it is fake. The scheme imitates the Klaytn platform (klaytn.foundation).

This fraudulent airdrop is used to lure users into exposing their digital wallets to a crypto drainer. Hence, victims of this fake "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" can lose the digital assets stored in their wallets.

It must be emphasized that this fraudulent giveaway is not associated with Klaytn or any other existing platforms or entities.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not review crypto projects, please do your own research when investing money.

Federal Trade Comission (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 "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" overview

As mentioned in the introduction, the "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" scam mimics the Klaytn blockchain ecosystem developed by Kakao – a South Korean Internet conglomerate.

The fake page running this scam that we inspected – klay-foundation[.]com – was not an identical copy of the Klaytn platform, but it did utilize the logo to create an impression of legitimacy. The scam site's URL also bore similarities to that of Klaytn, which is klaytn.foundation. However, keep in mind that this bogus airdrop could be hosted on other domains.

When the "CLAIM NOW" button is pressed on the fake website, it prompts the visitor to "connect" their cryptowallet. If that is done, the scam executes scripts that facilitate a cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, a mechanism is triggered that sends funds from victims' wallets to ones in the scammers' possession.

Some drainers can roughly estimate the value of digital assets and target them first. Such transactions can appear vague, thus escaping notice for a long time.

The scope of the financial loss for victims of scams like "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" depends on the value of the stolen assets. However, the lost funds cannot be retrieved due to the nearly untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" crypto drainer scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Airdrop on Klaytn blockchain ecosystem.
Related Domains	klay-foundation[.]com
Detection Names	Ermes (Not Recommended), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	104.21.17.247
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, social media spam, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Monetary loss
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner 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 read more.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

"Fake deBridge website", "USDT NFT Airdrop", "BRETT Airdrop", and "Grayscale ($GRAY) Airdrop" are merely some examples of crypto drainers.

Scams that target cryptocurrency typically work in one of three ways: draining assets from compromised wallets, phishing for cryptowallet log-in credentials, or deceiving victims into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets. Various false claims are used to gain and subsequently abuse victims' trust, e.g., airdrops/giveaways, new coin/token promotions, wallet/account issues, security upgrades, suspicious activity detection, etc.

While online scams are often poorly crafted, they can be competently made and even perfectly copy legitimate websites. Therefore, we highly recommend being vigilant when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are commonly endorsed via intrusive pop-up ads (malvertising). These advertisements may be fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "linking" digital wallets by promising various benefits. It is pertinent to mention that these pop-ups have been noted on genuine websites that had been compromised.

Social media spam is another prevalent promotional technique. Posts and PMs/DMs endorsing this content can appear unquestionably legitimate, as they can be made using accounts stolen from reputable sources (e.g., projects, companies, entrepreneurs, influencers, celebrities, etc.).

However, online scams are pushed using other methods as well, including sites utilizing rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, browser notifications, forum posts, etc.), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We strongly recommend caution while browsing since fake and dangerous online content usually appears genuine and harmless.

It is important to take note of URLs and type them carefully. Another recommendation is to be selective about which sites are allowed to display browser notifications. Suspicious pages must not be enabled to do so; instead, these requests have to be ignored or denied (i.e., by clicking "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

We advise against using websites that offer pirated programs/media or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming or downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages typically use rogue advertising networks. Incoming emails and other messages must be approached with vigilance. Attachments or links found in suspect mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful/infectious.

Additionally, all downloads must be made from official/trustworthy sources, and installations have to be treated with care (e.g., by studying times and options, using "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opting out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software from infiltrating the device.

If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.

Appearance of the fake "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Klaytn website (klaytn.foundation):

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:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner 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 read more.

Quick menu:

• What is "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" 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 an online scam?

An online scam is a type of deceptive content hosted on the Internet. It aims to deceive users into performing specific actions, e.g., connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, disclosing private information, sending money to scammers, calling fake support lines, downloading/installing software, allowing cyber criminals to access devices remotely, buying products, subscribing to services, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive data, proliferating malware, and so forth.

I have lost digital assets to the "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" scam, can I get my money back?

No, these transactions are irreversible because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Klaytn ($KLAY) Airdrop" cannot recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are primarily promoted via malvertising, websites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to eliminate all manner of threats. It can scan visited websites and detect deceptive/malicious pages. Therefore, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.

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