How to identify fraudulent schemes like BTCMining

What is "BTCMining"?

After a thorough examination of the BTCMining site (mining-clouds[.]com), it became evident that this is a fraudulent platform. Scammers devised this deceitful webpage to trick unaware users into taking actions that would result in the loss of their cryptocurrency holdings. Therefore, users must refrain from engaging with this untrustworthy website.

"BTCMining" scam in detail

This scam page, posing as a cloud mining service, promises users the opportunity to earn up to 0.2 BTC per month by connecting to their cloud mining platform. It falsely advertises itself as a user-friendly Bitcoin mining site and claims to be trusted by a large number of Bitcoin miners, specifically stating "Trusted By 90,621 Bitcoin Miners".

However, the site is designed to deceive users into believing they can earn Bitcoin through cloud mining when, in reality, it is a ploy to steal users' cryptocurrency. On this scam page, users are instructed to connect their wallets, but doing so actually signs a malicious contract. Upon signing that contract, a cryptocurrency drainer is activated.

This drainer automatically transfers cryptocurrency from the victim's wallet to the scammer's wallet. Thus, users who "connect" their wallets through a fake BTCMining site are likely to lose their cryptocurrency funds. It is important to mention that such transactions are irreversible.

Therefore, if a user falls victim to a scam or mistakenly sends cryptocurrency to the wrong address, recovering the funds becomes exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. This characteristic underscores the importance of exercising caution and conducting thorough research before engaging in any cryptocurrency transactions.

Threat Summary:

Name	BTCMining crypto scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Users have the opportunity to earn up to 0.2 BTC per month
Disguise	Legitimate cloud mining service
Related Domain	mining-clouds[.]com
Detection Names (mining-clouds[.]com)	Ermes (Not Recommended), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Lack of official verification, unrealistic claims, too good-to-be-true promises.
Distribution methods	Compromised social media accounts, hijacked WordPress sites, rogue online pop-up ads, phishing emails, unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
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Conclusion

In conclusion, the described BTCMining site presents a deceptive facade aimed at luring unsuspecting individuals into a cryptocurrency-related scam. Despite its claims of providing easy-to-use Bitcoin mining services, it is clear upon closer inspection that this site operates with malicious intent.

Users should exercise caution and refrain from engaging with such platforms to avoid potential financial losses and security risks associated with cryptocurrency scams. Examples of similar scams are "SAGA AIRDROP", "Creso Rewards", and "Claim $PRCL".

How did I open a scam website?

Users may inadvertently encounter scam-hosting pages while visiting pages that utilize rogue advertising networks, such as torrent sites or illegal movie streaming platforms. Furthermore, individuals may come across scams through deceptive ads, pop-ups, fake buttons, and notifications from untrustworthy sites, as well as hijacked WordPress pages.

Additionally, scammers frequently create websites with URLs similar to the ones of legitimate sites. Also, scammers promote scams by taking over social media profiles. These profiles, often belonging to celebrities, public figures, or reputable businesses, promote deceptive websites where users can become victims of fraudulent schemes.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Exercise caution when interacting with advertisements, pop-ups, and buttons on suspicious websites. Steer clear of torrent sites, illegal streaming platforms, and similar web pages. Only download software and files from reputable sources like official websites and trusted app stores.

Avoid agreeing to receive notifications from questionable sites. Also, uninstall any unnecessary applications from your device and be wary of unexpected emails from unknown senders, particularly those containing files or links. 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 "BTCMining" scam (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is BTCMining 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 crypto scam?

A cryptocurrency scam employs deceptive strategies to entice individuals into investing in digital currency, revealing sensitive information, or transferring funds. As a result, victims may suffer financial setbacks, loss of personal data, or unauthorized access to their cryptocurrency holdings/wallets.

Is it possible to retrieve lost crypto funds?

Recovering lost cryptocurrency funds is tough, sometimes even impossible, due to the decentralized and anonymous nature of cryptocurrencies.

Why do I encounter crypto scams?

Fraudsters use diverse tactics to spread their scams, including phishing emails, hijacked social media profiles, deceptive ads, and pop-ups on dubious websites. Additionally, they exploit compromised websites, like WordPress sites, and utilize platforms associated with rogue advertising networks, such as torrent sites and illegal streaming pages, to promote their deceptive schemes.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner is equipped to analyze websites and pinpoint scam pages efficiently. When it detects such pages, users are promptly notified, and access restrictions are swiftly applied.

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