How to identify fake giveaways like the "Dog RuneStone Airdrop"

What is the fake "Dog RuneStone Airdrop"?

During an analysis of the site (airdrop-doggotothemoon[.]xyz), it has come to our attention that it is a scam website promoting a fake Dog RuneStone airdrop (a cryptocurrency giveaway). The scammers behind this page aim to trick potential participants into believing they can receive free cryptocurrency and steal their digital assets.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not review crypto projects, please do your own research when investing money.

Federal Trade Comission (FTC) states that since the start of 2021, more than 46,000 people have reported losing over $1 billion in crypto to scams – that's about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method.

The fake "Dog RuneStone Airdrop" in detail

A cryptocurrency airdrop is a promotional strategy commonly used by blockchain projects to distribute free tokens to holders of a particular cryptocurrency. It is usually done to create awareness about a new project, incentivize participation, or reward existing users.

The fake Dog RuneStone airdrop website (airdrop-doggotothemoon[.]xyz) instructs visitors to connect their wallets to "get snapshot". Upon completing the provided steps ("connecting" a wallet), a malicious contract is signed. Signing this contract activates a cryptocurrency drainer that transfers cryptocurrency from the victim's wallet to the scammer's wallet.

Unfortunately, retrieving cryptocurrency lost in Dog RuneStone and similar scams can be very difficult. Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible, meaning that once funds are transferred from one wallet to another, it is nearly impossible to recover them.

Therefore, it is strongly recommended to exercise caution and thoroughly research any offers (e.g., crypto giveaways or investment opportunities) before connecting cryptocurrency wallets (divulging sensitive information) or transferring cryptocurrency to the wallets provided on suspicious web pages.

Threat Summary:

Name	Fake Dog RuneStone airdrop
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Participants will receive cryptocurrency for free
Disguise	Legitimate cryptocurrency airdrop (giveaway)
Related Domain	airdrop-doggotothemoon[.]xyz, claim-dog[.]xyz
Detection Names (airdrop-doggotothemoon[.]xyz)	Forcepoint ThreatSeeker (Suspicious), Trustwave (Suspicious), 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.
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.

Conclusion

In conclusion, fake crypto giveaways pose a significant threat to cryptocurrency holders, as scammers employ increasingly sophisticated methods to trick users and steal their digital assets. It is crucial for individuals to be careful, verify the legitimacy of crypto-related platforms, and implement robust security measures to safeguard their cryptocurrency.

More examples of scams implementing cryptocurrency drainers to steal crypto assets are the fake "$SAFE Token Airdrop", "$LOC PRE-SALE", and "Polyhedra Network $ZK Airdrop" websites.

How did I open a scam website?

Pretty often, fake websites like airdrop-doggotothemoon[.]xyz are promoted via compromised social media accounts, including those of celebrities or trusted companies, as well as hijacked WordPress pages. Moreover, fraudsters utilize pages associated with rogue advertising networks, such as torrent sites or illegal movie streaming platforms, to direct users to scam websites.

Moreover, fraudsters utilize pages associated with rogue advertising networks, such as torrent sites or illegal movie streaming platforms, to direct users to scams. Additionally, users might stumble upon scam pages through notifications from untrustworthy sites or ads originating from installed adware.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Exercise caution with unexpected or irrelevant emails from unknown senders, especially if they contain links or files and appear urgent. Always double-check website URLs before clicking to ensure they are legitimate and official. Avoid interacting with ads and pop-ups appearing on questionable sites.

Furthermore, download apps only from trusted sources, such as official websites and app stores, and avoid other sources (e.g., P2P networks, unofficial sites, or third-party app stores). Also, regularly scan your operating system for unwanted apps and do not agree to receive notifications from dubious pages.

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 "Dog RuneStone Airdrop" scam (GIF):

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 Fake Dog RuneStone airdrop?
• 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 is designed to persuade individuals to transfer their digital assets, activate mechanisms that drain their cryptocurrency or share sensitive information like seed phrases or passwords. Typically, the aim of such scams is to steal cryptocurrency.

Is it possible to retrieve lost crypto funds?

Once cryptocurrency transactions are done, they are usually permanent, making it impossible for victims to reclaim funds sent to scammers.

Why do I encounter crypto scams?

Usually, scammers promote fake airdrops and other crypto platforms via stolen social media profiles, compromised WordPress sites, phishing emails, misleading ads and pop-ups, or shady advertising networks (e.g., ads, links, and pop-ups on torrent sites).

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner is equipped to identify a broad spectrum of scams, promptly alert users and implement access restrictions.

▼ Show Discussion