"Free Penguin NFT" crypto drainer
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is the fake "Free Penguin NFT" giveaway?
We discovered the "Free Penguin NFT" scam while inspecting spam emails. This scheme is presented as the OpenSea platform (opensea.io) offering a free NFT (Non-Fungible Token). It operates as a cryptocurrency drainer.
It must be emphasized that this giveaway is fake, and it is in no way associated with the real OpenSea marketplace or any other existing platforms.
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 "Free Penguin NFT" giveaway overview
This scam is presented as the OpenSea NFT (Non-Fungible Token) marketplace, although it is not a perfect visual copy of the real platform. The scheme states that users can claim the Penguin NFT for free if they are eligible based on their blockchain activity. The spam email promoting this scam informed that the NFT users can claim may be worth $20 to $96.
It must be reiterated that all these claims are fake, and this scheme is not associated with the actual OpenSea marketplace or other existing platforms/entities.
When users attempt to claim the NFT, they are prompted to connect their digital wallet. Once "linked", the cryptowallet is exposed to a cryptocurrency-draining mechanism. Essentially, it siphons funds from wallets in automated transactions. Drainers may be able to approximate the value of digital assets and target them first.
These transactions can appear vague, thus remaining unnoticed for a long time. What is more, they cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like "Free Penguin NFT" irretrievably lose all or most of their digital assets.
| Name | "Free Penguin NFT" crypto drainer |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer |
| Fake Claim | Users can claim a free NFT. |
| Disguise | OpenSea |
| Related Domains | gift.openseanft[.]vip, claim.opensea-airdrop[.]link |
| Detection Names | Sophos (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address | 104.21.64.114 |
| 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
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Online scams aim to gain and subsequently abuse victims' trust. Users are lured into carrying out various actions intended to generate profit for scammers.
While such schemes are often poorly crafted and full of mistakes, they can be competently made and believably disguised as content associated with legitimate entities (e.g., companies, organizations, institutions, etc.). Crypto-specific scams commonly copy the design of existing platforms.
Therefore, we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing.
How did I open a scam website?
The "Free Penguin NFT" scheme is promoted through email spam campaigns. However, other methods could be used as well. Various types of spam are utilized in scam endorsement, such as emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, social media/ forum posts, browser notifications, etc.
Additionally, online schemes are pushed via intrusive ads (malvertising), sites employing rogue advertising networks, misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.
Crypto drainers are often endorsed through intrusive pop-up adverts, with some capable of executing cryptocurrency-draining mechanisms. These pop-ups may be encountered on legitimate websites that have been hacked.
Another promotional technique is social media spam. The posts and private/direct messages can be made using accounts stolen from real celebrities, entrepreneurs, influencers, projects, organizations, etc.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
Caution is critical to online safety. Therefore, pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Be wary of advertisements, and do not trust offers that sound too good to be true. Additionally, be selective when permitting websites to display browser notifications. Do not enable questionable pages to deliver them, and instead ignore or deny these requests (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).
Furthermore, do not use sites offering pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually utilize rogue advertising networks. Be vigilant with incoming mail, and do not open attachments or links found in suspicious emails/messages.
What is more, 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, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful 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 "Free Penguin NFT" scam (GIF):
Screenshot of the spam email endorsing the "Free Penguin NFT" scam:
Text presented in this email:
Subject: You have an important message!!
OpenSea
Important Notice: Free Penguin NFT Offer
Dear Crypto User,
We hope this message finds you well. We are excited to offer you a free penguin NFT #2172 based on your on-chain activity. Claim yours now and enjoy your experience.
Claim Your Free NFT
From $20-$96,00 can be claimed.
Get your hands on a free Pudgy Penguin NFT, a collection of 8,888 unique digital assets! Claim yours now!
Facebook Twitter Instagram Mail Telephone
You are receiving this email because you are OpenSea Subscriber
228 Park Ave South #22014, New York, NY 10003
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
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Quick menu:
- What is "Free Penguin NFT" 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?
Online scams are designed to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be enticed into connecting cryptowallets to cryptocurrency drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing private information, purchasing products, downloading/installing programs, subscribing to services, etc.
What is the purpose of online scams?
The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals can profit by acquiring funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive information, and proliferating malware.
I have lost digital assets to the "Free Penguin NFT" scam, can I get my money back?
These transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature.
Why do I encounter online scams?
"Free Penguin NFT" has been endorsed via spam emails. However, it could be pushed by relying on other methods. Generally, online scams are promoted via websites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), intrusive ads, mistyped URLs, and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner can scan visited sites and detect rogue, scam, and malicious webpages. Therefore, should you enter such a website – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be restricted.
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