How to spot fake giveaways like "Mint Fun"

What is "Mint Fun" scam?

This is a fraudulent scheme where scammers attempt to deceive unsuspecting individuals and steal their cryptocurrency. Perpetrators employ a deceptive giveaway scheme, advertised through posts on X (previously known as Twitter) alongside a bogus website, to entice victims into falling for their ploy.

"Mint Fun" scam in detail

The text in the deceptive X (Twitter) post introduces "!fundrop" as a purported project catering to enthusiasts of rare NFTs. It falsely claims to offer a unique opportunity during the New Year holidays, enticing individuals to test their luck in winning valuable prizes. The post encourages users to claim their supposed !fundrop rewards via the provided link.

The hyperlink within the post directs users to a counterfeit website, prompting visitors to connect their cryptocurrency wallets. Adhering to the instructions on this page results in the approval of a malicious smart contract. This contract harbors a drainer code, and once approved by the user, it empowers the drainer to carry out unauthorized transactions.

This results in the unauthorized depletion of the user's digital assets (cryptocurrency), leading to financial losses. It underscores the critical importance of exercising caution and verifying the legitimacy of giveaways.

Users can verify the legitimacy of a crypto giveaway by independently confirming information from official sources, avoiding requests for personal information or private keys, and being skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true.

Threat Summary:

Name	Mint Fun crypto scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Participants will receive rewards
Disguise	Legitimate !fundrop giveaway
Related Domain	zgroupmint[.]com
Detection Names	Combo Cleaner (Phishing), Emsisoft (Phishing), ESET (Phishing), G-Data (Phishing), PhishFort (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
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.

Similar scams in general

Crypto giveaway scams typically share common characteristics, such as enticing users with promises of substantial rewards, often in the form of free cryptocurrency. These scams leverage deceptive tactics, such as fake social media accounts, misleading URLs, and fraudulent promotions, to trick individuals into participating.

They often request personal information, private keys, or a small initial deposit, claiming it is necessary to unlock the supposed rewards. Examples of similar scams are "Starknet Airdrop", "zkSync", and "New Paradigm Airdrop".

How did I open a scam website?

The fraudulent scheme described in our article is advertised through X (Twitter) posts, leading users to a misleading page when they click the provided link. Crypto scams (as well as other scams) can also be promoted through deceptive ads and notifications coming from untrustworthy pages. Occasionally, scammers utilize adware to deceive users into accessing fraudulent websites.

In alternative scenarios, individuals find themselves on scam websites while browsing pages associated with rogue advertising networks. These networks are mostly utilized by pages that offer illegal movie streaming services, torrent platforms, and similar channels.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Be skeptical of unsolicited and suspicious emails, messages, or social media posts that contain clickable links. Be cautious when encountering advertisements and pop-ups on dubious pages, and avoid agreeing to receive notifications from unreliable websites. Download applications from reputable sources such as official pages and app stores.

Refrain from visiting shady pages that host torrents, offer to download videos from YouTube, or watch movies for free. Use reputable security software and stay informed about common online scams. 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 "Mint Fun" pop-up scam (GIF):

Screenshot of the post on X (Twitter) promoting this scam:

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:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. 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.

Quick menu:

• What is Mint Fun crypto 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 a fake crypto giveaway?

A fake crypto giveaway is a deceptive scheme where scammers falsely promise free cryptocurrency rewards to lure individuals into providing personal information, private keys, or making initial deposits.

What is the purpose of a fake crypto giveaway?

As a rule, the ultimate goal is to steal cryptocurrency from unsuspecting individuals.

How users encounter fake giveaways?

Users typically encounter fake giveaways through deceptive social media posts, fraudulent websites, phishing emails, or misleading online advertisements.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner is crafted to perform thorough scans on each website you visit, proficiently identifying and marking malicious ones. This includes websites designed for scam operations, ensuring timely alerts, and blocking access to potentially harmful sites.

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