Avoid being scammed by "LiteCoin Giveaway"

What is "LiteCoin Giveaway"?

"LiteCoin Giveaway" is a scam run on various deceptive websites. This scheme claims that, by transferring at least 3 LTC (Litecoin cryptocurrency) into the provided cryptowallet (via a wallet address or QR code), users will receive tenfold the amount.

Regardless of how much people transfer, however, they will not receive anything in return - neither the sum that was transferred nor any more. Therefore, you are strongly advised against trusting "LiteCoin Giveaway" or other similar scams.

In cases when deceptive sites are accessed unintentionally, it is typically due to mistyped URLs, redirects caused by intrusive advertisements or by Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs). This software does not require explicit permission to be installed onto systems, and hence users may be unaware of its presence.

The "LiteCoin Giveaway" scam claims that to verify their cryptowallet address, users must send a sum ranging from 3 LTC to 500 LTC to the "contribution address". At the time of research, the requested "contribution" was equivalent to approximately US$250 (USD) to US$40,000 USD (note that exchange rates constantly fluctuate).

The scheme offers users a return worth ten times their "contribution" (i.e. 30 LTC to 5,000 LTC). Additionally, the scam promises a 10-30% "special bonus", which would be added to the alleged tenfold return. This bonus is stated to be: 10% for contributions larger than 5 LTC, 20% for ones larger than 50 LTC, and 30% for more than 200 LTC.

Furthermore, "LiteCoin Giveaway" informs users that, should their transactions fail to go through, they can try again, and it reassures them that each transaction will be returned in tenfold and with the special bonus (if it applies). As mentioned, "LiteCoin Giveaway" is a scam and all of the information provided by it is false.

Therefore, instead of receiving any kind of return, victims of this scheme will only experience financial loss. Should users attempt to repeatedly use the scam's "unbelievable" offer (as per its instructions), they will only make multiple Litecoin transactions to the scammers and lose the sums they have transferred.

To summarize, by trusting the "LiteCoin Giveaway" scam, users will experience financial loss, and possibly expose their cryptowallets and/or other sensitive/personal information. PUAs are one of the main causes of rogue redirects to untrustworthy, deceptive/scam and malicious sites, however, these applications can have additional unwanted capabilities.

Adware-types operate by delivering various misleading and dangerous advertisements (e.g. pop-us, banners, coupons, etc.). These intrusive ads significantly diminish the browsing experience and, when clicked, redirect to malicious websites. Ssome can even stealthily download/install software.

Browser hijackers are other PUAs that make modifications to browser settings and restrict/deny access to them in order to promote fake search engines. The promoted search engines are seldom able to generate search results, so they tend to redirect to Yahoo, Bing, Google and other legitimate sites.

Most PUAs (regardless of type/functionalities) have data tracking capabilities. Information of interest includes browsing and search engine histories, IP addresses, geolocations, and other personally identifiable details. The gathered data is then monetized by sharing with and/or selling to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

The presence of these unwanted apps on devices can result in system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft. To ensure device/user safety, it is crucial to remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	LTC Giveaway POP-UP Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud.
Fake Claim	Scam claims if users transfer a sum of Litecoin cryptocurrency to the provided cryptowallet - they will receive tenfold the amount in return.
Cyber Criminal Cryptowallet Address	ltc1qek0d8mvrej647gaskun3tl3jsdyhkg55232ykq (Litecoin).
Related Domains	litecoingiveaway-live[.]com
Detection Names	Spamhaus (Phishing), Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal).
Serving IP Address (litecoingiveaway-live[.]com)	68.65.120.230
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
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.

"BTC giveaway" and "Double Your Bitcoins" are some examples of scams that are practically identical to "LiteCoin Giveaway". There are thousands of scams on the web and they use different tactics to gain and abuse users' trust.

Popular scam models include: "amazing" offers and deals, fake gift raffles, warnings that the device is infected or at risk, notifications that an essential piece of software is outdated or missing, and so on. Regardless of what these online schemes claims, offer, request or demand, the purpose is identical: to generate profit for the scammers/cyber criminals behind them.

Due to the relative prevalence of this deceptive online content, you are strongly advised to exercise caution when browsing.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs are often downloaded/installed together with other products. This deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

By rushing through download/installation of software (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using "Quick/Express" settings, etc.) many users risk unintentionally allowing bundled content into their devices. Intrusive advertisements proliferate PUAs as well.

When clicked, the ads can execute scripts to download/install these applications without users' permission. Some PUAs have "official" download web pages from which they can be downloaded.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research all software before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule), and other third party downloaders commonly offer harmful and bundled content, and are therefore untrusted and should be avoided.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, however, they can redirect to dubious and malicious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others).

If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in the "LiteCoin Giveaway" scam:

To verify your address, you need to send between 3LTC to 500LTC to the contribution address and we will immediately send you back 30LTC to 5,000LTC to the address you sent it from ..

 

Contribution Special BONUS:

 

5+ LTC = 10% BONUS
50+ LTC = 20% BONUS
200+ LTC = 30% BONUS

 

Payment Contribution Address
ltc1qek0d8mvrej647gaskun3tl3jsdyhkg55232ykq
Click here to view address transactions live
[Copy Address to Clipboard]

 

Waiting for your payment

 

Sometimes transactions are not sent properly. Try sending it again. Remember, every transaction address we receive gets their LTC back + giveaway prize.

 

Counting LTC Left

 

18,000 / 20,000

The appearance of "LiteCoin Giveaway" scam (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is LTC Giveaway POP-UP 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.

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