Avoid having your digital assets stolen through fake "$DOGS Airdrop" sites

What is the fake "$DOGS Airdrop"?

Our researchers discovered this "$DOGS Airdrop" during a routine investigation of untrustworthy websites. Upon examination, we determined that this airdrop is fake. The scam operates as a cryptocurrency drainer, and its victims suffer 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 "$DOGS Airdrop" overview

This scam claims to be a cryptocurrency airdrop. Yet this rewards program is fake, and it is not associated with any existing platforms or entities.

When users connect their digital wallets in an attempt to participate in the giveaway, they are exposed to a cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, funds are transferred from victims' wallets to those in the cyber criminals' possession in automated transactions.

Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and target them first. These transactions might not raise immediate suspicion as they can appear vague, thereby remaining unnoticed for significant amount of time.

It must be mentioned that due to the practically untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Hence, victims of this fake "$DOGS Airdrop" cannot recover the stolen assets.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$DOGS Airdrop" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Cryptocurrency drainer
Related Domains	cryptodrop[.]top
Detection Names (cryptodrop[.]top)	Combo Cleaner (Phishing), Emsisoft (Phishing), Fortinet (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Netcraft (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (cryptodrop[.]top)	104.21.82.143
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 analyzed countless online scams; "Ignition Airdrop Program", "Drop Coin", "Bitcoin NFT Verification", and "PepeCoin OG" are merely some of our latest articles on cryptocurrency drainers.

Crypto-specific scams primarily operate by utilizing draining mechanisms, phishing for cryptowallet log-in credentials, and tricking victims into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

However, various scams are promoted on the Web; they use different lures and mechanisms, yet the end goal is the same – to generate revenue at victims' expense.

How did I open a scam website?

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

Cryptocurrency drainers are often endorsed through malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up advertisements. These pop-ups can be fully operational drainers themselves; they entice users into "linking" digital wallets by promising various boons. It is pertinent to mention that these adverts may be encountered on legitimate sites that have been compromised.

Cryptocurrency-targeting schemes are also prevalent on social media networks. Promotional posts and direct/private messages can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real entrepreneurs, influencers, celebrities, projects, companies, etc.).

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is crucial to online safety. Therefore, always pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Be wary of ads and do not trust offers that sound too good to be true. Do not enable dubious webpages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny these requests (i.e., press "Block, "Block Notifications", etc.).

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

Download only from official/verified channels and approach installations with care (e.g., read terms, explore options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful software 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.

The appearance of "$DOGS Airdrop" 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 "$DOGS Airdrop" 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 contact promoted on the Internet that aims to trick users into performing certain actions. For example, victims may be deceived into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, making monetary transactions, disclosing sensitive information, buying products, downloading/installing software, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

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

I have lost digital assets to the "$DOGS Airdrop" 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?

The most common promotional methods include: spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, DMs/PMs, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), sites that utilize rogue advertising networks, intrusive advertisements, mistyped URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect rogue, deceptive/scam, and malicious pages. Therefore, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be denied.

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