How to spot scams like "ETH (Ethereum) Giveaway"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of scam is "ETH (Ethereum) Giveaway"?
After examining this email, we determined that this is a crypto-related phishing email. Scammers behind it attempt to lure recipients into providing sensitive information on a deceptive web page. They claim that recipients can receive 3 ETH by connecting their wallets via the provided site. This scam email must be ignored.
More about the "ETH (Ethereum) Giveaway" scam email
This scam email claims that individuals who are actively involved in the usage of cryptocurrency or working with it have an opportunity to receive an instant addition of 3 ETH to their wallet. To use this opportunity, recipients must access the exchange website (use the provided link) and connect it with their currently active wallets.
Also, this email states that the number of ETHs that are being distributed to users is limited in quantity. It says that recipients can find further details regarding the process within their accounts once their wallets have been successfully connected to the exchange website.
This scam email contains false information, and the provided link was found to be non-functional during our examination. Nonetheless, it is highly likely that the link leads to a phishing website that asks for login details, enabling scammers to access and drain cryptocurrency wallets.
| Name | ETH (Ethereum) Giveaway Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipients can receive 3 ETH by connecting their wallets the the provided page |
| Related Domain | drafemaneren[.]tk |
| Detection Names (drafemaneren[.]tk) | Avira (Phishing), Combo Cleaner (Malware), Emsisoft (Phishing), G-Data (Malware), Netcraft (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (drafemaneren[.]tk) | 172.67.147.127 |
| Disguise | Letter from a cryptocurrency exchange platform |
| 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. |
Similar scam emails in general
Scammers behind phishing emails often impersonate real people, companies, organizations, or other entities. Their emails usually are disguised as official/urgent/important letters. They aim to extract sensitive information (e.g., login credentials, ID card information, credit card details, or social security numbers).
Examples of similar emails are "New Shared Documents Email Scam", "Mail Server Upgrade Email Scam", and "UPS Custom Permit Email Scam". Threat actors also use emails to trick recipients into infecting their computers.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Phishing and malspam emails are similar, but the key distinction lies in the malicious nature of the attachments or links in the latter. These emails can compromise computers when recipients click on infected links or open malicious files, which can be malicious MS Office documents, PDFs, JavaScript files, executables, archives, ISO files, and others.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Exercise caution when dealing with links or attachments in unexpected or irrelevant emails from unknown or suspicious addresses. Verify the authenticity of suspicious emails before opening their contents. Avoid downloads from untrusted sources and only obtain software and files from reliable, official websites and trusted stores.
Be wary of advertisements on dubious websites and ensure that all installed software, including your operating system, is up-to-date. Employ reputable antivirus software and conduct regular system scans for added security.
If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "ETH (Ethereum) Giveaway" email letter:
Subject: : Get 3 ETH - Act Right Now
Hello.
Since yesterday, every user actively using cryptocurrency or working with it has a chance to get 3 ETH to their wallet instantly.
In order to get 3 ETH instantly, you need to go to the exchange website and connect with the wallet that you are actively using - this is protection from freeloaders who have empty wallets.
Exchange website - hxxps://cryptoexchange.drafemaneren.tk/invite-824642 (affiliate link)
The number of ETH that are distributed to users is limited.
You will find more detailed information in your personal account after you connect your wallet to the exchange website
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Quick menu:
- What is ETH (Ethereum) giveaway scam?
- 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?
Scammers send mass-produced, impersonal emails to thousands of recipients hoping that someone will fall for their deceit. These emails are not personal.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?
If you have provided your login information, change all passwords as soon as possible and notify your crypto wallet service provider.
I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?
If you have opened an executable file, there is a high probability of infection. However, if you have opened a document file such as .pdf or .doc, the risk of infection may be lower, as simply opening the document does not always result in malware infiltrating the system.
I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in such email, can I get my money back?
Unfortunately, cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible. Thus, it is not possible to retrieve the transferred funds.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Simply opening an email is not harmful. Computers can only become infected if a recipient clicks on a malicious link or opens a malicious file within the email sent by cybercriminals.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Yes, Combo Cleaner will run a system scan and eliminate detected threats. This software can detect almost all known malware. It is important to run a full system scan to eliminate high-end malware, as it usually hides deep in the system.
Outstanding!
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