Avoid losing digital assets to fake "Ignition Airdrop Program" websites

What is the fake "Ignition Airdrop Program"?

While investigating untrustworthy sites, our research team discovered this fake "Ignition Airdrop Program". Although presented as a cryptocurrency giveaway, this scam operates as a crypto drainer. It siphons funds from exposed digital wallets by utilizing a draining mechanism.

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 "Ignition Airdrop Program" overview

This scam is disguised as an airdrop distributing the Ignition (IC) cryptocurrency. It must be emphasized that this giveaway is fake, and it is not associated with any existing platforms or entities.

Once "Check Eligibility" is clicked on the scam page, a prompt the user requests to connect a digital wallet – doing so executes drainer scripts. The mechanism initiates automatic transfer from victims' digital wallets to those in the scammers' possession.

These transactions may look innocuous – thus remaining unnoticed for a significant amount of time. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft.

It must be mentioned that due to the practically untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Hence, victims of this fake "Ignition Airdrop Program" cannot recover their funds.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Ignition Airdrop Program" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Ignition (IC) cryptocurrency airdrop (giveaway)
Related Domains	ionet-8vw.pages[.]dev
Detection Names (ionet-8vw.pages[.]dev)	Combo Cleaner (Phishing), CyRadar (Phishing), Emsisoft (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Sophos (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (ionet-8vw.pages[.]dev)	172.66.44.133
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

"Drop Coin", "Bitcoin NFT Verification", "PepeCoin OG", and "MultiChain Protocol For DApp" are just some of our latest articles on cryptocurrency drainers.

Scams that target this digital currency do so in one of three primary ways – by utilizing drainers, targeting wallet log-in credentials, and deceiving victims into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

However, the Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. Various lures and mechanisms are used to facilitate scams, yet their end goal remains the same – to generate revenue for scammers.

Due to how widespread this content is on the Web and how well-made it can be – we strongly advise exercising caution 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 and trick users into "connecting" their cryptowallets by promising various benefits. It is worth mentioning that these adverts have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been hacked.

Another technique used in crypto-specific scam promotion is social media spam. These posts and private/direct messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, celebrities, influencers, and so on. If the scams align with the content ordinarily posted by the accounts – this can create an incredible impression of legitimacy.

However, other promotional methods are not likely. Aside from the aforementioned techniques, online scams are widely endorsed through websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, forum posts, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We recommend being careful with online advertisements and other content that makes promises that sound too good to be true. Suspicious webpages must not be permitted to deliver browser notifications; instead, notification requests from such pages have to be ignored or denied (i.e., by pressing "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

It is important to take note of URLs and be attentive when entering them. We advise against using websites that offer pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages typically employ rogue advertising networks.

Incoming emails and other messages must be approached with vigilance. Attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful or virulent.

All downloads must be made from official/verified sources and installations have to be made cautiously (e.g., by studying terms and options, using "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opting out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software (like adware) 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 "Ignition Airdrop Program" scam (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 "Ignition Airdrop Program" 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?

"Online scams" refer to a type of deceptive content promoted on the Web, the purpose of which is to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims may be lured into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, disclosing private information, sending money to scammers, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. Profit can be made by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive data, and proliferating malware.

I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in the "Ignition Airdrop Program" scam, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because they are nearly untraceable. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Ignition Airdrop Program" cannot get their money back.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to eliminate all kinds of threats. It is capable of scanning visited sites for deceptive and malicious content. Should such a page be opened – Combo Cleaner will immediately issue a warning and block all further access to the website.

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