How to avoid falling for fake ether.fi websites

What is ether.fi scam?

Ether.fi is a legitimate decentralized platform offering a non-custodial delegated staking protocol. Unfortunately, scammers have been exploiting its reputation by creating fraudulent ether.fi websites. These fake platforms lure users into fake giveaways with the aim of stealing cryptocurrency from unsuspecting users.

Fake ether.fi websites in detail

These fake ether.fi platforms are promoted via posts on X (formerly Twitter). Those deceptive posts aim to lure users into visiting a fake website, claim-ether[.]fi or other, by falsely promising an increased allocation of ETHFI tokens. Clicking the provided link opens a fake website offering to calculate eETH rewards.

Scammers use fake ether.fi websites to trick users into "connecting" their wallets to receive rewards. However, following instructions on these sites leads to signing a malicious contract that activates a cryptocurrency drainer. The primary goal of this drainer is to transfer cryptocurrency from the victim's wallet to the scammer's wallet.

Once cryptocurrency transactions are verified and added to the blockchain ledger, they become immutable, meaning they cannot be altered or reversed. Consequently, if funds are mistakenly sent to an incorrect address or fall victim to a scam, there are no mechanisms in place to undo the transaction or reclaim the lost funds.

Hence, it is crucial for users to be extremely cautious and steer clear of engaging in dubious cryptocurrency promotions or giveaways. This is essential to safeguard their assets and personal information from falling prey to fraudulent schemes.

Threat Summary:

Name	Fake ether.fi giveaway
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Participants can receive rewards
Disguise	Offiial ether.fi websites
Related Domains	claim-ether[.]fi, ciaim-ether[.]fi, ciaim-ether[.]com, ciaim-etherfi[.]com, app-etherpoints[.]fi, ethercoindefi[.]app
Symptoms	Lack of official verification, unrealistic claims, too good-to-be-true promises.
Distribution methods	Social media (including stolen Twitter accounts), compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
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Similar scams in general

Fraudulent schemes, like cryptocurrency giveaways or airdrops, exploit people's eagerness for quick financial gains. They use tactics such as limited-time offers to create urgency, pushing individuals to act hastily without confirming the authenticity of the opportunity. While these scams may seem genuine, they often lack transparency and provide vague assurances without solid proof of legitimacy.

In these schemes, victims are often asked to share personal information or make upfront payments, exposing them to potential financial harm and manipulation. Some examples of scams involving crypto drainers are "Cosmos Million", "BlackRockFund", and "VENOM Airdrop".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers have been observed using fake ether.fi accounts on X (formerly Twitter) to promote their scam. Fraudulent pages get opened through links provided in misleading posts. Other ways scams are promoted include pop-ups and ads on unreliable pages, notifications from shady sites, advertising-supported apps, and similar channels.

Pages associated with rogue advertising networks (e.g., torrent sites or illegal movie streaming pages) are also used to promote scams. In other cases, scammers use email or stolen/compromised accounts on social media to lure users into visiting scam websites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Exercise caution when clicking on links, especially those received via unsolicited emails or social media messages. Avoid interacting with ads and pop-ups on dubious sites or agreeing to receive notifications from websites of this kind. Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true or use high-pressure tactics to prompt immediate action.

Download apps from official pages or app stores instead of other (questionable) sources like P2P networks, third-party downloaders, unofficial sites, etc. Always verify the authenticity of websites by checking their domain names for any misspellings or irregularities. Regularly update your browser and operating system to patch known vulnerabilities.

If your computer is infected with unwanted apps, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

The appearance of a fake ether.fi site (GIF):

Other examples of fake ether.fi websites:

Sample 1:

Sample 2:

Post on X (Twitter) promoting this scam:

Yet another example of fake ether.fi website (ethar[.]fi):

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake ether.fi giveaway?
• 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 involves tricking individuals into surrendering their money (cryptocurrency) or sensitive information through deceptive tactics. These schemes often employ false promises and misleading tactics to entice unsuspecting victims.

Is it possible to retrieve lost crypto funds?

Regaining lost cryptocurrency funds is usually impossible. This is because cryptocurrencies function on decentralized and anonymous networks, making it exceedingly difficult to track and recover funds lost due to scams, theft, or other reasons.

Why do I encounter crypto scams?

Scammers disseminate these scams across various platforms, including unsolicited emails, social media, compromised social media profiles, ads, and pop-ups on unreliable websites, notifications from shady pages, and sites linked to illegal advertising networks like torrent sites or illegal movie streaming pages.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner includes scanning capabilities to examine every website, swiftly detecting scam pages. It promptly alerts users and enforces access restrictions, bolstering your defense against potential online threats.

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