Avoid getting scammed by fake "$PAAL Staking" websites

What is the fake "$PAAL Staking" website?

After inspecting this "$PAAL Staking" website, we determined that it is fake. This scam impersonates the PAAL AI (paal.ai) site. The scheme lures users into exposing their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer by promising staking rewards. It must be stressed that this scam is not associated with any existing platforms or other 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 "$PAAL Staking" website overview

The "$PAAL Staking" scam imitates the PAAL AI platform that offers an AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) powered chatbot designed to provide personalized AI assistants for cryptocurrency investment purposes.

We found this scheme endorsed on mypaal-reward.pages[.]dev; note that it could be hosted on other domains as well. The fake website promises rewards for staking PAAL tokens.

It must be reiterated that this rewards program is fraudulent and emphasized that this scam is not associated with the actual PAAL AI platform (paal.ai).

The bogus webpage prompts users to connect their cryptowallets. Doing so exposes the wallet to a cryptocurrency-draining mechanism. Drainers transfer funds from victims' wallets to those in the scammers' possession. This activity is automated and may appear vague, thus remaining unnoticed for a long time. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft.

It must be mentioned that these transactions are irreversible due to their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like "$PAAL Staking" cannot retrieve the stolen funds.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$PAAL Staking" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Token staking rewards offered by PAAL AI platform.
Related Domains	mypaal-reward.pages[.]dev
Detection Names	Trustwave (Phishing), Ermes (Not Recommended), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.66.47.105
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

We have investigated countless online scams; "Satoshi Connect Wallet", "MultiChain Protocol For DApp", "Claim $HAM", "DOP Tokens Claim", and "Binance Megadrop" are merely a few of our latest articles on crypto drainers.

Aside from utilizing draining mechanisms, cryptocurrency-targeting schemes can seek cryptowallet log-in credentials or trick users into manually transferring digital assets to scammer-owned wallets.

The Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content. While online scams are often poorly crafted, they can be competently made and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate websites. Therefore, be vigilant when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Cryptocurrency drainers are commonly endorsed via malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up ads. These pop-ups may be fully functional drainers themselves rather than redirect to sites capable of executing crypto-draining mechanisms. Note that said adverts may be hosted on genuine websites that have been hacked.

Additionally, crypto-specific scams can be encountered on social media platforms; we have discovered many instances of this on X (formerly Twitter). The spam PMs/DMs and posts can be made using accounts stolen from real celebrities, entrepreneurs, influencers, projects, companies, and so on.

Other promotional methods are not unlikely. Generally, online schemes are endorsed via webpages using rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, forum posts, browser notifications, etc.), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to online safety. Therefore, be cautious when browsing. Be wary of advertisements and do not trust offers that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Be selective when allowing sites to deliver browser notifications; ignore or deny this ad delivery from suspicious pages (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Do not use websites offering pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages typically employ rogue advertising networks. Be careful with incoming mail; do not open attachments or links present in suspect emails/messages.

Download only from official/trustworthy sources and treat installations with vigilance (e.g., inspect terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful content (like adware) from infiltrating systems.

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 "$PAAL Staking" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official PAAL AI website (paal.ai):

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▼ 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 "$PAAL Staking" 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?

Essentially, online scams refer to content endorsed on the Web that aims to deceive users into performing specific actions. To expand upon them, victims may be enticed into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing private information, downloading/installing programs, buying products, subscribing to services, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams aim to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals predominantly profit by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., software, sites, products, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive data, and proliferating malware.

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

No, these transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are mainly promoted through malvertising, spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, typosquatting, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to eliminate all manner of threats. It is capable of scanning visited websites for rogue, deceptive, and malicious content. Combo Cleaner issues warnings when a page hosting such content is opened, and it can block all further access to the site.

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