Avoid getting scammed by fake "Mint StoneAi" websites

What is the fake "Mint StoneAi" website?

During a routine investigation, our research team discovered the "Mint StoneAi" scam as promoted on new.vedep[.]xyz (note that it could be hosted elsewhere). It lures users into exposing their digital wallets to a crypto drainer by promising an opportunity to mint (generate) StoneAi NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) for free.

Victims of this scheme experience financial loss. It must be stressed that this fake "Mint StoneAi" page is not associated with any existing platforms or 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 "Mint StoneAi" website overview

At the time of research, this "Mint StoneAi" scam was promoted on new.vedep[.]xyz, but it could also be hosted on other domains. The fake page states that 3460 StoneAi NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are available, and the first 1500 tokens can be minted for free.

It must be reiterated that this supposedly AI (Artificial Intelligence) driven platform is fake, and it is not linked to any existing projects or entities.

When a user attempts to generate the NFTs by clicking "Mint StoneAi" – they are prompted to connect their digital wallet. Doing so signs a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, funds are transferred from victims' wallets to those in the scammers' possessions.

These transactions are automated and may appear vague – thus, they can remain unnoticed for a long time. Drainers may be able to approximate the value of digital assets and target them first.

It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions are nearly untraceable – hence, they are irreversible. Victims of scams like this fake "Mint StoneAi" website cannot retrieve the stolen assets.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Mint StoneAi" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Fake Claim	Users have an opportunity to mint StoneAI NFTs for free.
Related Domains	new.vedep[.]xyz
Detection Names (new.vedep[.]xyz)	Combo Cleaner (Malware), CRDF (Malicious), Emsisoft (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Netcraft (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (new.vedep[.]xyz)	172.67.187.91
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

"Claim Base Dawgz", "$MOG Coin", "Claim FREE $DADDY", "CyberLama Mint", and "Ignition Airdrop Program" are merely some of our newest articles on crypto drainers.

Scams that target digital assets do so in one of three main ways – by using drainers to steal funds from exposed wallets, phishing for wallet log-in credentials, and deceiving victims into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

Online schemes are often poorly made and full of grammatical/spelling errors, but they can be confidently crafted and even perfectly imitate legitimate sites. Therefore, always be vigilant when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

The "Mint StoneAi" scam has been observed being endorsed via posts on X (more commonly referred to by its former name – Twitter). It is pertinent to mention that scam-promoting posts and direct/private messages (DMs/PMs) can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, celebrities, influencers, etc.

Crypto drainers are also promoted via intrusive pop-up advertisements. These pop-ups may be capable of executing draining mechanisms themselves; they entice users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising various boons. Ads of this kind have even been encountered on genuine websites that had been compromised.

Aside from the aforementioned techniques, online scams are widely endorsed through other types of spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), webpages using rogue advertising networks, typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We highly recommend exercising caution when browsing. Therefore, be wary of adverts and other online content that makes offers which sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully.

Do not permit dubious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny such requests (i.e., click "Block","Block Notifications", etc.).

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

Download from official/verify channels and treat installations with care (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful content 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 "Mint StoneAi" website (GIF):

Screenshot of an X post (Tweet) promoting the "Mint StoneAi" scam:

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 "Mint StoneAi" 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, an online scam is a type of content hosted on the Internet that aims to deceive users into performing certain actions. For example, victims may be enticed into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, disclosing private information, sending money to scammers, purchasing products, subscribing to the services, downloading/installing software, 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, endorsing content (e.g., sites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive data, and spreading malware.

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

No, these transactions cannot be reversed due to their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Mint StoneAi" webpage cannot get their money back.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to eliminate all kinds of threats. It can scan visited sites for deceptive and malicious content. Additionally, Combo Cleaner can restrict all further access to such webpages.

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