How to spot scams like the BSCPad $BUSD giveaway scam
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is "BSCPad $BUSD" giveaway scam?
We have discovered a new Binance USD (BUSD) giveaway scam while inspecting shady advertisements and websites. The purpose of this scam website is to trick visitors into believing that they can obtain Binance USD by connecting their cryptocurrency wallets via this page. This scam must be ignored.
"BSCPad $BUSD" giveaway scam in detail
The page itself is designed to look like the official BSCPad (a decentralized IDO platform) page. It offers to claim tokens for free before the specified date and time. It also states that unclaimed tokens will be returned to the treasury. Clicking the "Connect wallet" button on this page opens a window asking to choose the preferred crypto wallet.
The purpose of this scam website is to steal cryptocurrency wallets (to trick visitors into providing their private keys or seeds). Providing information on this page will result in losing cryptocurrency. Scammers will use the provided information to drain your wallet.
Name | BSCPad $BUSD scam |
Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
Fake Claim | Visitors can receive cryptocurrency for free |
Disguise | Official BSCPad website |
Related Domain | airdrop-bscpad[.]tech |
Detection Names | N/A (VirusTotal) |
Serving IP Address | 172.67.136.3 |
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. |
Similar scams in general
There are plenty of crypto-related scams on the Internet (including fake giveaways). Typically, scammers behind them aim to steal crypto wallets or trick users into participating in fake giveaways (sending cryptocurrency). Examples of similar scams are "PancakeSwap Giveaway", "Tesla Giveaway", and "Ethereum Giveaway".
How did I open a scam website
Typically, scam websites are promoted via shady advertisements, notifications displayed by dubious pages, or other untrustworthy pages. It is also popular for such scams to be promoted on Discord, Telegram, YouTube, or other platforms. In other cases, scammers use search engine poisoning techniques or adware-type apps to promote their scams.
How to avoid visiting scam pages?
Do not trust advertisements that appear on shady websites (or visit websites of this kind). Download applications and files from legitimate sources such as official pages and platforms (avoid using other sources like P2P networks, third-party downloaders, shady websites, etc.).
Do not agree to receive notifications from dubious pages. 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 "BSCPad $BUSD giveaway scam" pop-up scam (GIF):
Text in this website:
How to claim? →
Claim your $BUSD
Airdrop from BSCPad
Deadline: Please claim your tokens before
16:12:41 May 13
Unclaimed tokens will be returned to our treasury!
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:
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Quick menu:
- What is BSCPad $BUSD 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 scam website?
It is a type of fraud used to trick people into performing certain actions.
What is the purpose a scam website?
Usually, scam websites are designed to trick visitors into transferring money, providing personal information (e.g., credit card details, login credentials), downloading unwanted or even malicious apps, purchasing fake/unnecessary apps, etc.
Why do I encounter scam websites?
It is very uncommon for such pages to be visited on purpose. Most of them are promoted via deceptive ads, emails, browser notifications, adware (or other shady software), or using search engine poisoning techniques.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?
Combo Cleaner will scan visited websites and detect malicious ones. It will warn you immediately and restrict access to untrustworthy pages.
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