Avoid getting scammed by fake Lido sites promoting airdrops
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of scam is the fake "Lido Token Airdrop" site?
This "Lido Token Airdrop" is a scam. It imitates the official Lido website, supposedly announcing an airdrop for the platform's own token. Users tricked by this lure inadvertently expose their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency-draining scam.
"Lido Token Airdrop" fake website overview
Pages running the "Lido Token Airdrop" scam closely mimic the design of the legitimate Lido website (lido.fi). The fake webpage states that Lido is announcing its token. The airdrop for LDO is distributing from 50 to 500 tokens to each eligible user.
It must be emphasized that this giveaway is fake, and it is in no way associated with Lido or any other legitimate platforms or entities.
Participating in the bogus airdrop necessitates connecting a cryptowallet to the platform. Linking a digital wallet executes cryptocurrency-draining scripts.
Some drainers can guesstimate the value of the digital assets and prioritize them. Funds are transferred in automated transactions that may look vague on the victim's end. Drainers can steal all or most of the cryptocurrency stored in compromised wallets.
It must be mentioned that these transactions are irreversible because of their practically untraceable nature. This means that victims of scams like "Lido Token Airdrop" cannot retrieve the stolen assets.
Name | "Lido Token Airdrop" crypto drainer scam |
Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
Fake Claim | LDO token airdrop held on Lido |
Disguise | Lido |
Related Domains | lidos[.]gift |
Detection Names (lidos[.]gift) | Combo Cleaner (Malware), Cluster25 (Phishing), CRDF (Malicious), Kaspersky (Phishing), Sophos (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
Serving IP Address (lidos[.]gift) | 104.21.90.213 |
Distribution methods | Compromised websites, social media spam, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications. |
Damage | Monetary loss |
Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples
We have investigated thousands of online scams; "CATCOIN Allocation", "Connect To OpenSea", "$WUF Airdrop", and "Clearpool ($CPOOL) Airdrop" are merely some examples of ones utilizing crypto-draining mechanisms.
Schemes that target cryptocurrency obtain it in one of three ways: draining exposed cryptowallets, collecting wallet log-in credentials, and deceiving victims into transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets (by offering various benefits like doubled returns, etc.).
While online scams can vary greatly in appearance and use different methods, their end goal is the same – to generate revenue for scammers.
How did I open a scam website?
Social media spam is commonly used in the promotion of cryptocurrency-centered scams. The posts and private/direct messages can be made using hacked accounts, which were stolen from genuine projects, companies, organizations, influencers, etc.
Another endorsement technique is malvertising (malicious advertising). Some of the pop-ups have crypto-draining scripts implemented. These intrusive ads were even observed being hosted on legitimate sites that have been compromised.
Other possible promotional methods include: websites employing rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs (typosquatting), spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, forum posts, browser notifications, etc.), and adware.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
The Internet is rife with deceptive/malicious content that appears harmless. For example, intrusive advertisements and spam browser notifications may look innocuous – however, they redirect users to unreliable and dubious sites (e.g., scam-promoting, adult dating, gambling, etc.).
Therefore, we strongly recommend caution. It is important to take note of URLs and type them carefully. We recommend being selective about which pages are enabled to display browser notifications. Suspicious ones must not be allowed to do so; instead, these requests have to be ignored or denied (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).
Incoming emails and other messages must be approached with vigilance. Attachments or links found in suspect/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful/infectious.
We advise against using websites that offer pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming or downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages usually utilize rogue advertising networks.
Another recommendation is to download only from official/trustworthy channels and treat installations with care (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/dangerous software from infiltrating the system.
If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.
The appearance of "Lido Token Airdrop" scam (GIF):
Screenshot of Lido's official website (lido.fi):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Lido Token Airdrop" crypto drainer 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 an online scam?
Online scams are schemes/fraud endorsed on the Web. Scams aim to deceive users into carrying out specific actions, e.g., connecting wallets to crypto drainers, making monetary transactions, downloading/installing software, disclosing sensitive information, purchasing products, subscribing to services, calling fake support lines, allowing cyber criminals to access devices remotely, etc.
What is the purpose of online scams?
The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue at victims' expense. Scammers profit primarily by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private information, and distributing malware.
I have lost cryptocurrency to the "Lido Token Airdrop" scam, can I get my money back?
These transactions are irreversible because of their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, victims of such scams cannot return their funds.
Why do I encounter online scams?
Online scams are predominantly promoted via malvertising (intrusive ads), websites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., social/ forum posts, PMs/DMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited sites and detect rogue, deceptive/scam, and malicious ones. Therefore, should you enter such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be denied.
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