How to avoid falling for schemes like the "$MOTHER Staking" scam
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is the fake "$MOTHER Staking" page?
Our inspection of staking-mother[.]fun has revealed that it is a fake page mimicking the original site, mother[.]fun. Scammers have created staking-mother[.]fun to steal cryptocurrency from individuals. Thus, users should avoid staking-mother[.]fun and only use official and verified websites.
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 $1 billion in crypto to scams – that's about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method.
"$MOTHER Staking" scam in detail
Mother[.]fun is a website that is used to promote the $MOTHER digital token (which is considered to have little to no value). On the fake website (staking-mother[.]fun), individuals are offered to stake $MOTHER to grow their holdings. The site promises that $MOTHER staking rewards will be paid out to users every single block, with 15% of the token supply distributed over a 2-year period.
In order to withdraw staked tokens on the fake website, users are required to connect their wallets. However, doing so on staking-mother[.]fun signs a malicious contract that activates a cryptocurrency drainer. This drainer is designed to transfer cryptocurrency from the victim's wallet to the scammer's behind staking-mother[.]fun.
Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible. Once cryptocurrency is sent to scammers, there is no way to reclaim those funds, emphasizing the importance of caution. Users are strongly advised to use reputable cryptocurrency wallets, exchanges, and investment platforms to mitigate the risk of financial loss due to scams or fraudulent activities.
In addition to using reputable platforms, it is important for cryptocurrency users to stay informed about emerging security threats and common scams prevalent in the crypto community.
| Name | Fake $MOTHER Staking platform |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Disguise | Legitimate platform for staking the $MOTHER token |
| Related Domain | staking-mother[.]fun |
| Detection Names (staking-mother[.]fun) | Certego (Suspicious), Emsisoft (Phishing), G-Data (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | Unofficial 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. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, staking-mother[.]fun is an example of one of the deceptive tactics used by malicious actors in the cryptocurrency space. Staking-mother[.]fun is not the only website utilizing a cryptocurrency drainer to steal funds from victims. Thus, users should be careful with crypto platforms and verify their legitimacy before taking action.
Examples of fake platforms (mimicking real ones) are "LYRA Early Adopter", "MultiversX (EGLD) Rewards", and "Kinto Claim".
How did I open a scam website?
It is common for scam websites to be opened through misleading notifications and deceptive ads on unreliable websites. Also, users often land on scam sites while visiting torrent sites, illegal movie streaming pages, and similar platforms that use rogue advertising networks.
Additionally, scammers use email to send fraudulent links, employ stolen or fake social media (or other) accounts, and compromised sites (e.g., WordPress pages) to promote their scam sites. In other cases, users encounter scam websites through advertisements generated by advertising-supported software.
How to avoid visiting scam pages?
Download software and files from official sites or app stores. Use trusted search engines like Google to browse the web. Do not agree to receive notifications from suspicious web pages and avoid interacting with ads, links, pop-ups, etc., on dubious websites. Avoid opening links in unexpected emails and messages from unknown addresses or individuals/accounts.
Keep your operating system and installed software up to date. Regularly scan your computer for threats using a reputable security tool. 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 "$MOTHER Staking" pop-up scam (GIF):
Real website (mother[.]fun):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is Fake $MOTHER Staking platform?
- 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 crypto scam?
Cryptocurrency scams encompass a range of fraudulent schemes within the cryptocurrency ecosystem. These deceptive practices include fake ICOs, fraudulent exchanges, malicious platforms employing cryptocurrency drainers, and various other schemes designed to exploit unsuspecting users.
What is the purpose of a crypto scam?
Usually, the goal is to steal cryptocurrency funds from victims.
Why do I encounter scams?
Scam websites can be encountered through sites that use rogue advertising networks (e.g., torrent sites and illegal streaming pages). Scammers also employ fraudulent emails, deceptive ads, compromised or fake social media accounts, hijacked WordPress websites, and notifications from dubious pages to deceive users.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?
Combo Cleaner conducts scans on every website visited by users, with the capability to detect and identify malicious websites. It provides immediate warnings and restricts access to sites that host scams, thereby enhancing user security and preventing potential threats while browsing.
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