Avoid getting scammed by fake "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" sites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is the fake "CoinMarketCap Token Presale"?
This "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" is fake. The scam is supposedly running a presale event with a 10% bonus, and when users attempt to participate – they are tricked into exposing their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer.
Hence, victims of this scam can lose all or most of the funds stored in compromised cryptowallets. It must be emphasized that this scheme is in no way associated with any existing platforms or 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 "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" overview
The scam claims to be running a presale event offering buyers a 10% bonus. We found "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" promoted on cmc-token[.]com and cmctoken[.]net, but it could be hosted on other domains. It must be reiterated that this presale is fraudulent, and it is not associated with any legitimate platforms or entities.
This scheme operates as a cryptocurrency drainer: when users are lured into "connecting" their cryptowallets – it initiates a draining mechanism. Funds are transferred from victims' wallets in automated transactions to ones in the cyber criminals' possession.
Drainers may be able to roughly estimate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft. The transactions may appear innocuous – thus remaining unnoticed for a long time.
It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions are practically untraceable, which makes them irreversible. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" cannot recover their funds.
| Name | "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" crypto drainer |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer |
| Disguise | Token presale event |
| Related Domains | cmc-token[.]com; cmctoken[.]net |
| VirusTotal Detections and Serving IP Addresses | cmc-token[.]com (104.21.4.45); cmctoken[.]net |
| 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
We have investigated countless online scams; "Fantasy On Blast Airdrop", "Claim PinkSale Tokens", and "Monad Points" are just a couple examples of ones utilizing cryptocurrency-draining mechanisms.
Online schemes use various lures to entice or scare users, e.g., presale events, new coin/token promotions, airdrops/giveaways, account/wallet issues, security updates, suspicious activity detections, etc.
Scams are often poorly crafted and riddled with spelling/grammatical errors, but they can be competently made and even perfectly mimic existing websites. Therefore, exercise caution when browsing and investing.
How did I open a scam website?
One common technique used to promote cryptocurrency drainers is malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up ads. Some of these pop-ups are fully functional drainers themselves. We have encountered such adverts hosted on legitimate sites that had been hacked.
Another prevalent method is social media spam; we have discovered many examples on the X (more commonly known by its former name – Twitter) social media platform. Promotional posts and PMs/DMs can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, organizations, celebrities, influencers, entrepreneurs, etc.
However, other techniques could be used to endorse crypto-centered scams, e.g., different types of spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, forum posts, SMSes, etc.), webpages that utilize rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
The Internet is rife with deceptive and dangerous content, which commonly appears genuine and harmless. For example, intrusive ads and spam browser notifications can look innocuous – yet redirect to highly questionable sites (e.g., scam-promoting, gambling, adult dating, etc.).
Therefore, exercise caution when browsing. Be wary of ads and be selective when allowing webpages to deliver browser notifications. Do not permit suspect pages to display notifications, and instead ignore or deny such requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).
Additionally, pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use websites offering pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as they typically use rogue advertising networks.
Be vigilant with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages. Do not open attachments or links present in suspicious/irrelevant mail, as they can be harmful or malicious.
Furthermore, 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/hazardous software (like adware) from infiltrating devices.
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 "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" (GIF):
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Quick menu:
- What is "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" 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?
An online scam is a type of deceptive content hosted on the Web; it is intended to trick users into performing certain actions. For example, victims may be enticed into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, providing sensitive information, buying products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing programs, etc.
What is the purpose of online scams?
The goal of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing websites/software, abusing/selling private data, and spreading malware.
I have lost digital assets to the "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" scam, can I get my money back?
No, these transactions are irreversible due to their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "CoinMarketCap Token Presale" cannot retrieve the stolen assets.
Why do I encounter online scams?
Online scams are primarily endorsed via spam (e.g., social media posts, PMs/DMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), malvertising (intrusive advertisements), sites using rogue advertising networks, typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner can scan the websites you access for rogue, deceptive, and malicious content. Hence, should you visit such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.
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