How to identify fake promotions like the "Toncoin (TON) Airdrop"

What is the fake "Toncoin (TON) Airdrop"?

We have examined the page (qr2ws.airdrop-ton[.]homes) and found that it masquerades as the real website (ton[.]org) to lure unsuspecting individuals into participating in a fraudulent scheme. This fake page is disguised as a website hosting a cryptocurrency giveaway. Its purpose is to steal cryptocurrency from users.

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 "Toncoin (TON) Airdrop" in detail

Toncoin (TON) serves as the native cryptocurrency of The Open Network (TON), a decentralized layer-1 blockchain initially developed by Telegram but later continued by the non-commercial TON Foundation. The project aims to establish a comprehensive ecosystem, offering decentralized storage, services, an anonymous network, and efficient transaction processing.

Scammers use the fake website (qr2ws.airdrop-ton[.]homes) to deceive visitors into believing that they can participate in a cryptocurrency (Toncoin) giveaway hosted by the TON Foundation (ton[.]org). The fraudulent site promises participants the opportunity to receive from 500 to 60,000 TON tokens deposited into their wallets.

Additionally, qr2ws.airdrop-ton[.]homes mentions the open network's intention to swap and bridge any available tokens into TON on the Ethereum chain. The ultimate goal of this scam website is to trick visitors into connecting their wallets (signing a malicious contract). Upon signing a malicious contract, users activate a cryptocurrency drainer.

This cryptocurrency drainer is designed to transfer funds (cryptocurrency) from the victim's wallet to the scammer's wallet. This means that victims who fall for the fake airdrop on qr2ws.airdrop-ton[.]homes are likely to lose their digital assets without the possibility of retrieving them.

Since cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible, users are strongly advised to check the legitimacy of airdrops or other crypto-related platforms before connecting their wallets, providing any personal information, or sending cryptocurrency to avoid monetary loss or other issues.

Threat Summary:

Name	Fake Toncoin (TON) Airdrop
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Participants can receive from 500 to 60,000 TON tokens for free
Disguise	Legitimate TON giveaway
Related Domain	qr2ws.airdrop-ton[.]homes
Detection Names	Trustwave (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Incorrect domain, 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, qr2ws.airdrop-ton[.]homes is a fake site promising a large airdrop of TON tokens. It falsely claims association with The Open Network (TON)/TON Foundation and aims to deceive visitors into triggering a cryptocurrency drainer. It is essential to be skeptical and avoid engaging with suspicious websites like the one described in our article to protect against potential monetary loss and other harm.

Examples of similar scams are the fake "Grayscale ($GRAY) Airdrop", "Renzo ($REZ) Token Allocation", and "$SWOT Token Airdrop".

How did I open a scam website?

Fake websites like qr2ws.airdrop-ton[.]homes that are designed to trick users into activating cryptocurrency draining tools are mainly spread through hijacked WordPress pages or social media profiles. These compromised accounts usually belong to well-known celebrities or reputable organizations.

Additionally, scammers employ deceptive advertisements (including misleading notifications from unreliable sites) on dubious pages to lure users into visiting scam pages. Furthermore, users may unknowingly encounter scam websites while browsing illegal movie streaming pages, torrent sites, and other sites commonly associated with rogue advertising networks.

Furthermore, scams can be propagated through advertisements displayed by untrustworthy adware. Overall, users frequently find themselves inadvertently accessing scam sites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Do not open files or links in suspicious emails from unknown addresses. Download applications from reputable sources (official pages or app stores). Avoid interacting with ads, pop-ups, download buttons, and similar elements on questionable websites (e.g., torrent sites). Never allow suspicious websites to send notifications.

Also, regularly update your browsers, other apps, and the operating system and scan your computer for threats. 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 the fake "Toncoin (TON) Airdrop" (GIF):

Real website (ton[.]org):

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Toncoin (TON) 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 fake crypto airdrop?

A fake airdrop is a fraudulent scheme masquerading as a genuine cryptocurrency giveaway. Typically, scammers orchestrating fake crypto airdrops intend to pilfer sensitive information or cryptocurrency from unsuspecting victims.

Is it possible to retrieve lost crypto funds?

Regrettably, cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible, meaning it is impossible to retrieve cryptocurrency once it's been transferred to scammers or stolen by them.

Why do I encounter crypto scams?

Typically, fraudulent airdrops and similar scams are advertised through hijacked social media accounts, compromised WordPress pages, and phishing emails containing links or attachments. Also, scammers use misleading advertisements, deceptive pop-ups, and platforms like torrent sites that employ unscrupulous advertising networks to trick users into visiting scam websites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner examines websites and identifies unreliable ones, including those engaged in scams. Upon detection of such a site, the application promptly notifies the user and prevents access to the untrustworthy website.

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