Avoid getting scammed by fake "Claim $HAM" websites

What is the fake "Claim $HAM" website?

Upon inspecting this "Claim $HAM" site, we determined that it is fake. This scam is presented as a giveaway distributing the Hamster Coin (HAM) cryptocurrency. Instead, this bogus airdrop operates as a cryptocurrency drainer. Victims of the "Claim $HAM" scheme experience financial loss.

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 "Claim $HAM" website overview

The "Claim $HAM" scam imitates an airdrop distributing the Hamster Coin (HAM) cryptocurrency. Users can supposedly claim up to 100,000 HAM coins. We found this scheme endorsed on hamster.trutspad[.]com, but keep in mind that it could be hosted on other domains as well.

It must be emphasized that this airdrop is fake, and it is not associated with any existing platforms or entities.

Participating in the fraudulent giveaway necessitates users "connecting" their digital wallets. Doing so executes scripts for a crypto drainer, which siphons funds from exposed wallets. Digital assets are transferred in automated transactions to scammer-owned cryptowallets.

Drainers may be able to roughly estimate the value of the assets and prioritize their theft. This activity may appear vague, thereby remaining unnoticed for a long time.

Therefore, all or most of the funds stored in compromised wallets can be stolen. It must be mentioned that due to the practically untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Claim $HAM" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Fake Claim	Fake HAM Coin (Hamster cryptocurrency) airdrop
Related Domains	hamster.trutspad[.]com
Detection Names (hamster.trutspad[.]com)	Combo Cleaner (Malware), CRDF (Malicious), ESET (Phishing), Fortinet (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (hamster.trutspad[.]com)	104.21.69.47
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

"Binance Megadrop", "Launchifi Dapp", "$MOTHER Staking", and "Trump Crypto Tokens" are merely some examples of crypto drainers. There are three main types of cryptocurrency-targeting schemes – drainers, phishing scams for cryptowallet log-in credentials, and ones that deceive users into manually transferring funds to wallets in the scammers' possession.

While online scams are commonly riddled with various mistakes, they can be competently made and even perfectly mimic the design of legitimate platforms/websites. Therefore, be vigilant when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Cryptocurrency drainers are often endorsed via malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some are capable of executing drainer scripts; they lure users into "linking" digital wallets by promising benefits. These pop-ups may be encountered on genuine sites that have been hacked.

Additionally, crypto-centered schemes are prevalent on social media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter). These spam posts and DMs/PMs can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, celebrities, influencers, etc. If the promoted scam aligns with the content regularly posted by the account – this creates an incredible impression of legitimacy.

Other endorsement techniques are not unlikely. Generally, online scams are promoted through malvertising, various types of spam (e.g., social media/ forum posts, PMs/DMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), webpages that utilize rogue advertising networks, typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

The Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content. Therefore, exercise caution while browsing. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Be wary of adverts, and do not trust offers that sound too good to be true. Do not permit suspect pages to display browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny such requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Do not use sites offering pirated software/media or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming or downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized via rogue advertising networks. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/verified sources and be careful when installing (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, features, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous programs 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 "Claim $HAM" website (GIF):

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. 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.

Quick menu:

• What is "Claim $HAM" 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?

Basically, online scams are messages promoted on the Internet, which are intended to deceive users into performing certain actions. To elaborate, victims can be enticed/scared into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, providing vulnerable information, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, 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, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and spreading malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Claim $HAM" scam, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Claim $HAM" website cannot retrieve their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan every single visited website and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. Hence, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.

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