Avoid losing your digital assets to fake "PepeCoin OG" websites

What is the fake "PepeCoin OG" website?

After investigating this "PepeCoin OG" website (pepecoin-ai.pages[.]dev; other domains may exist), we determined that it is a scam. This bogus page centers on the PepeCoin digital asset and aims to deceive users into exposing their wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer. Victims of this scheme irretrievably lose the funds stored in compromised digital wallets.

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 "PepeCoin OG" website overview

This scam is based on the PepeCoin memecoin – a digital asset originating from an Internet meme, specifically – Pepe the Frog. We discovered the scheme on pepecoin-ai.pages[.]dev; however, it could be hosted on other domains. It must be emphasized that this fake website is not associated with any existing platforms or entities.

After a user connects their digital wallets to the page, it executes scripts for a cryptocurrency-draining mechanism. Essentially, a malicious contract is signed that enables the automated transfer of funds to scammer-owned wallets. Drainers may have the ability to approximate the value of digital assets and target them first.

These transactions can look vague, thereby remaining unnoticed by victims for a significant amount of time. What is more, due to the practically untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. This means that victims of schemes like the fake "PepeCoin OG" website cannot recover their assets.

Threat Summary:

Name	"PepeCoin OG" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Pepecoin memecoin platform
Related Domains	pepecoin-ai.pages[.]dev
Detection Names	Trustwave (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.66.44.76
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 written about thousands of online scams; "$PAAL Staking", "Satoshi Connect Wallet", and "MultiChain Protocol For DApp" are merely a couple of our articles on crypto drainers.

Cryptocurrency-targeting schemes operate in one of three ways – draining funds from exposed digital wallets, phishing for cryptowallet log-in credentials, and deceiving victims into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

It is noteworthy that scams of this kind can be competently made and even perfectly mimic the design of legitimate websites. Therefore, exercise caution when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

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

Drainer schemes are commonly endorsed via intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some can even execute draining mechanisms themselves; they entice users into "linking" digital wallets by promising various boons. These adverts may be encountered on legitimate sites that have been compromised.

Additionally, crypto-centered scams are widely promoted through social media spam. The posts and direct/private messages pushing this deceptive content can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to genuine projects, companies, organizations, celebrities, influencers, etc.).

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Always be vigilant when browsing to ensure your online safety. Take note of URLs and type them carefully. Be wary of advertisements and do not trust offers that sound too good to be true. Do not use websites offering pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Be selective when permitting pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or deny such requests from suspect sites (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Treat incoming emails and other messages with caution; do not open attachments or links present in suspicious/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/verified sources and approach installations with care (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of all supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software (like adware) from infiltrating the device.

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 "PepeCoin OG" 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 "PepeCoin OG" 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 Internet content that aims to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be enticed into connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, sending money to scammers, providing sensitive information, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., sites, software, products, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and distributing malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "PepeCoin OG" scam, can I get my money back?

No, these transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "PepeCoin OG" site cannot get their money back.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are mainly promoted via spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), websites employing rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads, misspelled URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited sites for rogue, deceptive/scam, and malicious content. Therefore, should you stumble upon a webpage hosting such content – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be restricted.

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