How to identify crypto scams like "New Paradigm Airdrop"

What is "New Paradigm Airdrop"?

After a thorough examination, it is evident that the claimed giveaway is, in fact, a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. This deceitful ploy is actively circulated through X (formerly known as Twitter) with the explicit intention of deceiving unsuspecting individuals and illicitly acquiring their cryptocurrency assets.

"New Paradigm Airdrop" in detail

The scam involves a fake promotion on X that claims to be the only live Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) with native yield for both ETH and stablecoins. The scammers assert they have secured a substantial amount of funding, citing endorsements from reputable entities such as Polychain, BinanceLabs, CoinFund, and others.

Scammers direct users to a website, newparadigm-mantanetwork[.]com, promising details on acquiring PENTA Yield. This page emphasizes a sense of urgency by stating that deposit and rewards are slated to conclude by the end of January 2024. It instructs visitors to enter their code or check eligibility.

The fraudulent website's objective is to deceive users into approving a harmful smart contract. Within this contract lies the coding for a drainer. Upon the user's approval of this malevolent contract, the drainer gains the ability to autonomously execute unauthorized transactions.

These actions encompass transferring funds from the victim's cryptocurrency wallet to the attacker's wallet address. In other words, scammers behind this fake giveaway have created a scheme allowing them to steal crypto funds from their victims. Thus, users should not perform the steps presented by this and similar scams to avoid losing money.

Threat Summary:

Name	New Paradigm Airdrop drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Participants will receive free cryptocurrency
Disguise	Legitimate crypto giveaway
Related Domain	newparadigm-mantanetwork[.]com
Detection Names (newparadigm-mantanetwork[.]com)	Emsisoft (Phishing), Ermes (Not Recommended), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Lack of official verification, unrealistic claims, too good to be true promises.
Distribution methods	X (Twitter), email, compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss.
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Conclusion

In conclusion, this scam operates with the intent to mislead users into approving a deceitful smart contract. Once authorized, the malicious contract empowers a drainer to execute unauthorized transactions, facilitating the illicit transfer of funds from the victim's cryptocurrency wallet to the attacker's address.

An example of a similar scam involving a drainer is zkSync scam.

How did I open a scam website?

The fraudulent scheme detailed in this article is propagated through X, previously known as Twitter. Additionally, the promotion of this scam may extend to Google ads, other social media platforms, and email. Sometimes, scammers use adware or similar software and notifications displayed by shady pages to promote their scams.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

To steer clear of scam pages, be wary of emails, messages, or social media posts that prompt immediate action or promise free cryptocurrency, prizes, etc. Avoid interacting with ads and pop-ups on suspicious pages, and refrain from allowing such websites to display notifications.

Regularly update the operating system and installed applications, and utilize reputable antivirus or anti-malware software. Download apps from official pages and app stores. 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 "New Paradigm Airdrop" scam page (GIF):

X (Twitter) post promoting the scam page:

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Quick menu:

• What is New Paradigm Airdrop drainer?
• 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 a crypto scam?

A cryptocurrency scam refers to a deceitful scheme within the cryptocurrency realm intended to deceive individuals into taking specific actions.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

The objective is to acquire funds from unsuspecting victims. Typically, it is done by offering free cryptocurrency in return for sending a specific amount of cryptocurrency or extracting login credentials required to access crypto wallets.

Why do I encounter fake crypto giveaways and similar scams?

Most scammers use social media platforms like X (Twitter) or Facebook and misleading online advertisements to trick users into visiting scam websites. Also, they use advertising-supported apps, email, SMS, and similar channels to promote their scams.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan every website you visit, finding and identifying malicious sites, including those designed for scams. It provides warnings and limits access to potentially harmful sites, enhancing online security.

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