Avoid getting scammed by fake "$SWOT Token Airdrop" websites

What is the fake "$SWOT Token Airdrop"?

After inspecting this "$SWOT Token Airdrop", as promoted on the swotai[.]xyz webpage, we determined that it is fake. This scam imitates the Swot AI platform (swotai.org).

When a user attempts to take part in the bogus giveaway, they expose their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer. Hence, victims of schemes like this "$SWOT Token Airdrop" can lose all the funds stored in compromised cryptowallets.

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.

Fake "$SWOT Token Airdrop" overview

As indicated in the introduction, this fraudulent "$SWOT Token Airdrop" impersonates the Swot AI platform that offers custom analysis of Web3 projects using AI techniques. We discovered this scam on swotai[.]xyz, which bears significant similarities to Swot AI's actual domain, which is swotai.org. Note that this scheme could be hosted elsewhere.

However, despite any similarities – this fake airdrop has no association with the Swot AI platform or any other existing entities.

After a user tries to join this event, they are prompted to connect their cryptocurrency wallet. Doing so executes scripts for a crypto-draining mechanism that transfers funds from victims' wallets to ones owned by cyber criminals. These transactions may appear vague – hence, they might not raise suspicion.

Drainers may be able to roughly estimate the value of digital assets and target them first. Victims of scams like "$SWOT Token Airdrop" can lose all or most of the funds in the exposed wallets. And the money cannot be retrieved because of the practically untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$SWOT Token Airdrop" crypto drainer scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Airdrop on Swot AI
Related Domains	swotai[.]xyz
Detection Names (swotai[.]xyz)	Fortinet (Spam), Trustwave (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (swotai[.]xyz)	172.67.143.36
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. ▼ 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.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

We have inspected thousands of online scams; "DYDX NFT Airdrop", "Claim RWA", and "PepeFork ($PORK) Registration" are merely a couple examples of crypto drainers.

Schemes that seek cryptocurrency primarily operate in one of three ways – draining funds out of exposed wallets, targeting wallet log-in credentials, and tricking victims into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

Various false claims are used to lure victims into interacting with scams. While online schemes are commonly plain and riddled with errors, they can be competently crafted and even perfectly mimic existing sites.

How did I open a scam website?

In general, online scams are promoted via malvertising (intrusive adverts), spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, PMs/DMs, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

Cryptocurrency drainer schemes are often endorsed through intrusive pop-up ads. Some of these advertisements can even execute drainer scripts. Pop-ups of this kind may also be encountered on legitimate websites that have been compromised.

Social media spam is also used to push cryptocurrency-specific scams. These posts and private/direct messages can be made using accounts stolen from reputable sources (e.g., projects, companies, organizations, influencers, celebrities, entrepreneurs, etc.).

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We highly recommend being vigilant when browsing, as the Internet is rife with legitimate-looking scams and malicious content. It is important to pay attention to URLs and type them cautiously.

Be careful when clicking advertisements and allowing pages to deliver browser notifications. Do not enable suspicious webpages to display these advertisements; instead, ignore or deny such requests (i.e., by clicking "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Do not use websites offering pirated programs/media or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are typically monetized via rogue advertising networks. Exercise caution with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments/links found in suspect mail.

Additionally, download only from official/verified sources and treat installations with care (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful software from infiltrating the device.

If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.

Appearance of the fake "$SWOT Token Airdrop (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is "$SWOT 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?

Basically, online scams are a type of deceptive content hosted on the Web. It aims to deceive users into performing certain actions, e.g., connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing sensitive information, purchasing products, downloading/installing software, subscribing to services, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by acquiring funds through deception, endorsing content, abusing/selling private data, and distributing malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "$SWOT Token Airdrop" scam, can I get my money back?

These transactions are irreversible due to their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "$SWOT Token Airdrop" cannot retrieve their assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

The most widespread promotional techniques include: sites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), malvertising (intrusive ads), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan the websites you visit and detect deceptive/malicious pages. Hence, should you enter such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be restricted.

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