Avoid getting scammed by fake "$ETHFI Eligibility Check" websites

What is the fake "$ETHFI Eligibility Check" website?

After inspecting "$ETHFI Eligibility Check", we determined that it is a scam. We found it promoted on governance-etherfi[.]app, but it could be hosted elsewhere. It operates as a cryptocurrency drainer, which is triggered whenever a user connects their digital wallet to the fake page.

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 "$ETHFI Eligibility Check" website overview

This scam is presented as a giveaway for the Ether.fi (ETHFI) coin. The fake site encourages users to check their eligibility by pressing the "Continue" button and connecting their digital wallet.

It must be stressed that this airdrop is a hoax, and it is not associated with any existing platforms or entities.

When a cryptowallet is linked to the scam, it executes scripts for a cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, funds are transferred through automated transactions to scammer-owned wallets. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and target them first.

These transactions may appear vague, thus remaining unnoticed for a significant amount of time. Hence, victims of scams like "$ETHFI Eligibility Check" can lose all or most of the funds stored in compromised wallets. It is pertinent to mention that due to the untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$ETHFI Eligibility Check" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Ether.fi (ETHFI) coin giveaway
Related Domains	governance-etherfi[.]app
Detection Names	Seclookup (Malicious), Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	104.21.26.216
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

"DApp Airdrop", "$ZERO Token Distribution", "Allora Token Claim", "LYRA Early Adopter", and "MultiversX (EGLD) Rewards" are just some of our newest articles on crypto drainers.

Cryptocurrency-targeting schemes primarily operated on one of three ways – draining funds from exposed digital wallets, phishing for crypto wallet log-in credentials, or tricking users into manually transferring funds to wallets in the scammers' possession.

The Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content. Online scams are often poorly put together and full of mistakes, but they can also be competently made and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate sites. Therefore, be vigilant when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

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

Schemes that rely on cryptocurrency-draining mechanisms are often endorsed via intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some of these adverts are fully functional drainers themselves; they lure users into "connecting" their wallets by promising various benefits. These pop-ups have been encountered on legitimate sites that has been compromised.

Another prevalent technique is social media spam. Promotional posts and direct/private messages can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real entrepreneurs, influencers, celebrities, projects, companies, organizations, etc.).

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to online safety. It is important to take note of URLs and type them carefully. Suspicious advertisements and offers that sound too good to be true – must not be trusted.

Being selective is necessary when permitting sites to deliver browser notifications; dubious pages must not be enabled to display these ads, and instead such requests have to be ignored or denied (i.e., by pressing "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

We advise against using websites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming or downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages typically employ rogue advertising networks. Incoming emails and other messages must be approached with vigilance; attachments or links found in suspect mail must not be opened.

Additionally, all downloads must be made from official/trustworthy sources, and installations have to be approached with care (e.g., by studying terms and options, using "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opting out of all supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous 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 "$ETHFI Eligibility Check" scam (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is "$ETHFI Eligibility Check" 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 promoted on the Internet. Its purpose is to deceive users into performing specific actions, e.g., 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?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by acquiring funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and distributing malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "$ETHFI Eligibility Check" scam, can I get my money back?

No, these transactions are irreversible because of their nearly untraceable nature.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are primarily promoted via spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), webpages using rogue advertising networks, malvertising, typosquatting, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited websites and detect rogue, deceptive/scam, and malicious pages. Therefore, should you enter such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.

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