Avoid losing digital assets through fake "Claim $REZ" websites

What is the fake "Claim $REZ" website?

While investigating deceptive sites, our researchers discovered the "Claim $REZ" scam. It was endorsed on renzoprotocal.pages[.]dev, but it could be hosted elsewhere. The scheme is presented as an airdrop. However, this "Claim $REZ" page functions as a cryptocurrency drainer. Victims of this scam 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 "Claim $REZ" website overview

This "Claim $REZ" scam is presented as an airdrop distributing REZ tokens. We discovered the scheme promoted on renzoprotocal.pages[.]dev – yet it could also be hosted on other domains. It must be stressed that this giveaway is fake, and it is in no way associated with any existing platforms or entities.

This "Claim $REZ" website executes a cryptocurrency-draining mechanism once a victim connects their digital wallet. Basically, "linking" a cryptowallet signs a malicious contract that enables the theft of funds stored therein. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and target them first. These transactions may appear innocuous, thus remaining unnoticed for a significant amount of time.

It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like "Claim $REZ" cannot recover the stolen digital assets.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Claim $REZ" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	REZ token airdrop
Related Domains	renzoprotocal.pages[.]dev
Detection Names	Emsisoft (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.66.45.13
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

"$CATE Airdrop", "Claim EIGEN", "$FATTY Presale", "Claim $METIS", and "mETH Protocol Signup" are merely some examples of crypto drainers.

Various claims are used to gain victims' interest and trust, e.g., the lures can center on airdrops/giveaways, new coin/token promotions, account/wallet issues, suspicious activity detections, security upgrades, and so on.

While online scams differ in appearance and mechanisms used, their end goal is the same – to generate revenue at victims' expense. These schemes are often poorly constructed and riddled with errors, but they can be competently made and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate websites. Therefore, we strongly advise vigilance when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Online scams are primarily promoted via sites using rogue advertising networks, malvertising (intrusive adverts), spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, PMs/DMs, social media/ forum posts, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

Cryptocurrency drainers are commonly endorsed through intrusive pop-up ads. Some are capable of executing draining mechanisms themselves; these pop-ups entice users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising various benefits. It is noteworthy that these advertisements may be encountered on legitimate websites that have been compromised.

Additionally, crypto-specific schemes are endorsed via social media spam. These posts and PMs/DMs can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, etc.).

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We highly recommend exercising caution when browsing since the Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content. Be wary of ads and other online content making promises that sound too good to be true. Take note of URLs and type them attentively.

Do not permit dubious pages 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., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages typically employ rogue advertising networks. Treat incoming emails and other messages with care; do not open attachments or links present in suspicious mail.

Download only from official/verified sources and approach installations cautiously (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, features, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful 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 "Claim $REZ" website (GIF):

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▼ 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 "Claim $REZ" 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, online scams are a type of content hosted on the Internet that aims to deceive victims into performing specific actions. For example, users may be enticed into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing private information, buying products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing software, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive data, and distributing malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Claim $REZ" scam, can I get my money back?

These transactions cannot be reversed due to their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Claim $REZ" webpage cannot recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan every website that you visit for deceptive/malicious content. Additionally, it can restrict all further access to webpages hosting such content.

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