Avoid getting scammed by fake "Megaton Finance" websites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is the fake "Megaton Finance" website?
"Fake Megaton Finance Website" refers to a site imitating the Megaton Finance DeFi platform (megaton.fi). We found the imitator scam on megaton[.]top, but it could be hosted on other domains.
This scheme operates as a cryptocurrency drainer, i.e., it siphons digital assets from compromised cryptowallets. Despite appearing identical to Megaton Finance, this scam is not associated with it or any other existing platforms and entities.
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 "Megaton Finance" website overview
As mentioned in the introduction, the scam perfectly copies the design of the Megaton Finance decentralized finance (DeFi) platform. The scheme could be hosted on various domains; we investigated it as promoted on megaton[.]top. While this domain did not quite rely on a typosquatting technique (misspelled URLs), it closely resembled that of the real platform, which is megaton.fi.
It must be reiterated that the fraudulent page is in no way associated with the actual Megaton Finance platform or any other sites and entities.
The purpose of this scam is to steal digital assets. It does so by utilizing a cryptocurrency-draining mechanism, which is triggered when users "connect" their digital wallets to the fraudulent webpage. Some drainers can approximate the value of assets and prioritize their theft. These transactions may appear innocuous, thereby remaining unnoticed for a significant amount of time.
Furthermore, due to the nearly untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Megaton Finance" website cannot recover the stolen funds.
Name | "Fake Megaton Finance" crypto drainer |
Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer |
Disguise | Megaton Finance platform |
Related Domains | megaton[.]top |
Detection Names (megaton[.]top) | Trustwave (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
Serving IP Address (megaton[.]top) | 104.21.95.213 |
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
"Blockchain Rectification", "Collect 500 CUBEs", and "$PARAM Claim Live" are merely a couple examples of crypto drainer scams.
Schemes that target cryptocurrencies do so in one of three main ways: draining assets from exposed digital wallets, phishing for cryptowallet log-in credentials, and deceiving victims into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.
While online scams are often riddled with various errors, crypto-specific scams tend to be competently crafted and may even be identical copies of existing websites.
How did I open a scam website?
Cryptocurrency-draining scams are commonly promoted via intrusive pop-up ads (malvertising). These advertisements may be capable of executing drainer scripts themselves; they entice users into "linking" digital wallets by promising various benefits. What is more, these pop-ups have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been compromised.
Crypto-targeting scams are also widely endorsed through social media spam, especially on X (formerly Twitter). The promotional posts and private/direct messages can be made using accounts stolen from genuine celebrities, influencers, entrepreneurs, projects, companies, organizations, etc.
In general, aside from malvertising and social media spam, online scams are promoted via webpages using rogue advertising networks, other types of spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, forum posts, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, take note of URLs and type them carefully. Be selective when clicking advertisements and allowing websites to deliver browser notifications. Do not permit suspicious pages to display notifications, and instead ignore or deny these requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).
Do not use sites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are typically monetized through rogue advertising networks. Be mindful when approaching incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail.
Download only from official/trustworthy sources and treat installations with care (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software (like adware) 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.
Appearance of the fake "Megaton Finance" website (GIF):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Fake Megaton Finance" crypto drainer?
- 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?
Essentially, online scams are deceptive messages hosted on the Web that aim to trick users into performing specific actions. To elaborate, victims may be lured into connecting cryptowallets to cryptocurrency drainers, making monetary transactions, 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 for scammers. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and proliferating malware.
I have lost digital assets to the fake "Megaton Finance" site, can I get my money back?
These transactions are irreversible due to their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake Megaton Finance website cannot recover their funds.
Why do I encounter online scams?
The most prevalent promotional techniques include: spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), intrusive ads (malvertising), sites utilizing rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner is capable of scanning visited websites for rogue, deceptive, and malicious content. Hence, should you stumble upon such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be restricted.
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