Do not trust fake PancakeSwap phishing emails
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is "PancakeSwap" email scam?
After inspecting this "PancakeSwap" email, our researchers determined that it is spam that operates as a phishing scam. The letter claims that the recipient's cryptocurrency wallet will be suspended if it is not validated. This spam mail promotes a phishing page, which closely mimics the genuine PancakeSwap website.
"PancakeSwap" email scam overview
The fake "PancakeSwap" email, subject "Infoemail PancakeSwap - Your wallet will soon be suspended REF:(905424091)" (may vary), states that the recipient's cryptowallet has not been verified. Unless the verification process is completed before the listed date, the wallet will be suspended.
It must be emphasized that the claims made by this spam email are false. Hence, when the "Connect Wallet" button is clicked, it redirects to a phishing site.
The design of this page is copied straight from the legitimate PancakeSwap website. The fake page even includes the banner from the original website that warns users against phishing attempts and lists the real URL - which, naturally, the scam site does not match.
This phishing webpage can record the entered log-in credentials of WalletConnect, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, MathWallet, TokenPocket, Binance Chain, SafePal, and Coin98 digital wallets. With this information in their possession, the cyber criminals can access the exposed cryptowallets and gain control over the cryptocurrency stored therein.
Therefore, by trusting scams of this kind, users can significant experience financial losses and other serious issues.
| Name | PancakeSwap phishing email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Cryptowallet will be suspended unless it is verified. |
| Disguise | Alert from PancakeSwap. |
| Related Domains | pancakessmwap[.]finance |
| Detection Names (pancakessmwap[.]finance) | N/A (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (pancakessmwap[.]finance) | 104.21.52.142 |
| Symptoms | Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains. |
| Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Cryptocurrency-themed scams
With cryptocurrencies rising in popularity, cyber criminals have taken to crafting various scams targeting them. "Double Your ETHEREUM", "Double Your BTC", "UNHCR email scam", and "Army of Ukraine need your support" are a couple examples of cryptocurrency-centered spam emails.
We have also analyzed online scams attempting to trick users into revealing their wallet credentials (e.g., "Ronin Wallet Scam", "Collab Land Scam", etc.) and fake cryptocurrency giveaways offering a great return for a certain amount in exchange (e.g., "Tesla Giveaway", "PancakeSwap AirDrop", etc.).
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Spam campaigns are commonly used to proliferate malware. These emails can contain infectious attachments or links leading to malicious websites. The latter may infiltrate malicious software into systems or lure users into downloading/installing it themselves.
The virulent files can be archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), Microsoft Office and PDF documents, JavaScript, etc. The infection process is triggered - the moment a malicious file is opened.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We strongly advise exercising caution with incoming mail. The attachments and links present in suspicious emails and messages - must not be opened, as they may cause system infections.
However, malware is not spread exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we also recommend downloading only from official and verified channels. Furthermore, software must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as those obtained from third-parties may contain malware.
It is crucial to have a dependable anti-virus installed and kept updated. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "PancakeSwap" scam email letter:
Subject: Infoemail PancakeSwap - Your wallet will soon be suspended REF:(905424091)
PancakeSwap
Your wallet will soon be suspended.
Dear client - , Out system shows that your wallet has not yet been verified.
The verification process can be done easily via the page below.
All unverified wallets will be suspended on Friday, April 08, 2022
Connect wallet
Appearance of the phishing website promoted by the "PancakeSwap" spam campaign (GIF):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is PancakeSwap phishing email?
- Types of malicious emails.
- How to spot a malicious email?
- What to do if you fell for an email scam?
Types of malicious emails:
Phishing Emails
Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.
Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.
After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.
Emails with Malicious Attachments
Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.
In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.
If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.
While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.
Sextortion Emails
This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.
To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.
How to spot a malicious email?
While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:
- Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
- Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
- Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
- Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.
To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
Example of a spam email:
What to do if you fell for an email scam?
- If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
- If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
- If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
- If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
- Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did I receive this email?
Spam emails are not personal. Cyber criminals distribute them by the thousand hoping that at least some of the recipients will fall prey to their scams.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have provided account credentials - immediately change the passwords/passphrases of all potentially exposed accounts and inform their official support. And if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) - contact the corresponding authorities without delay.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, opening and reading a spam email will not result in a system infection. Malware download/installation is jumpstarted when the attachments or links present in these letters are opened/clicked.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
Whether your system was infected might depend on the opened file's format. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) - most likely, yes. However, you might have avoided an infection if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.). These formats may require additional user interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands) to start downloading/installing malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate nearly all known malware infections. It has to be mentioned that high-end malicious programs tend to hide deep within systems - hence, performing a full system scan is crucial.
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