Avoid losing your digital assets to fake "$FATTY Presale" websites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is the fake "$FATTY Presale" website?
Our researchers discovered a page running "$FATTY Presale" while inspecting deceptive websites. After examining this presale event, we determined that it is fake.
This scam was promoted on fatty-claim.pages[.]dev, but it could also be hosted elsewhere. The fraudulent "$FATTY Presale" operates as a crypto drainer. Victims of this scheme experience 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 $1 billion in crypto to scams – that's about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method.
Fake "$FATTY Presale" website overview
We discovered the "$FATTY Presale" scam on fatty-claim.pages[.]dev, yet it could be hosted on other domains as well. It is presented as a presale event for the FATTY token. However, the event is fake, and it is not associated with any existing platforms or entities – regardless of any potential visual similarities.
This scheme is a cryptocurrency drainer. Basically, once a user "connects" their digital wallet through the fake webpage – they sign a malicious contract that facilitates outgoing transactions. Funds are transferred from victims' wallets to those in the scammers' possession.
Drainers may be capable of approximating the value of digital assets and prioritizing their theft. Due to how vague these transactions may appear, they can remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time.
What is more, because of the nearly untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "$FATTY Presale" site cannot get their money back.
Name | "$FATTY Presale" crypto drainer |
Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer |
Disguise | FATTY token presale event |
Related Domains | fatty-claim.pages[.]dev |
Detection Names (fatty-claim.pages[.]dev) | N/A (VirusTotal) |
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. |
Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples
"NEIRO Register", "Claim $METIS", "mETH Protocol Signup", and "$ETHFI Shared For Karak Users" are merely a few of our latest articles on crypto drainers.
Cryptocurrency-targeting schemes can be competently crafted and even perfectly mimic the design of legitimate websites. Various lures are used to entice victims, such as claims relating to new coin/token promotions, airdrops/giveaways, suspicious activity detections, account/wallet issues, and so forth.
Due to how prevalent online scams are and how well-made they can be – we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing.
How did I open a scam website?
Cryptocurrency drainers have been widely promoted through intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some of the ads are fully functional drainers themselves; they lure users into "linking" digital wallets by promising various benefits. It is noteworthy that these pop-ups have been encountered on genuine sites that had been compromised.
Crypto-centered schemes are prevalent on social media platforms; we have discovered many instances of their promotion on X (formerly – Twitter). The spam posts and direct/private messages (DMs/PMs) can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, etc.).
However, other promotional methods are not unlikely. Generally, online scams are endorsed via webpages using rogue advertising networks, various types of spam (e.g., social media/ forum posts, DMs/PMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), malvertising, misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
We recommend exercising caution with advertisements and other online content making promises that sound too good to be true. It is important to pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully.
Suspicious pages must not be permitted to deliver browser notifications; instead, such requests have to be ignored or denied (i.e., by clicking "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).
We advise against using websites that offer pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming or downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks.
Another recommendation is to be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages. Attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful or virulent.
Additionally, all downloads must be made from official/verified sources, and installations have to be approached with care (e.g., by studying terms and options, using "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opting out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software from infiltrating devices.
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 "$FATTY Presale" website (GIF):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "$FATTY Presale" 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 are a type of content promoted on the Web that aims to deceive users in the performing specific actions. For example, victims may be enticed into connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing sensitive data, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, and so on.
What is the purpose of online scams?
Online scams aim to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), abusing/selling private information, and spreading malware.
I have lost digital assets to the "$FATTY Presale" scam, can I get my money back?
Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because of their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "$FATTY Presale" website cannot retrieve their funds.
Why do I encounter online scams?
Online scams are most commonly endorsed via websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, malvertising, spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, PMs/DMs, browser notifications, social media posts, etc.), typosquatting, and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for deceptive/malicious content. Therefore, should you access such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.
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