Avoid getting scammed by fake "Solana Giveaway" websites

What is the fake "Solana Giveaway"?

Our researchers found this "Solana Giveaway" scam while investigating an email spam campaign. The scam is disguised as an airdrop distributing the Solana (SOL) cryptocurrency. Unlike most crypto-centric schemes, this one does not directly target digital assets; instead it promotes cryptowallets.

It must be emphasized that this hoax "Solana Giveaway" is not associated with the actual Solana platform or any other existing projects/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 "Solana Giveaway" overview

This scam is presented as an airdrop distributing Solana cryptocurrency from a pool of 100,000 SOL. This giveaway is merely a lure, meaning there is no pool, and users will not receive tokens. It must be reiterated that this scheme is in no way associated with Solana or any other existing platforms and entities.

At the time of research, we detected no signs of the scheme operating as a crypto drainer or otherwise directly tricking users into parting with their digital assets. This fake airdrop endorsed various cryptocurrency wallets. Content promoted through scams is deemed suspicious.

It can be legitimate (e.g., digital wallets, in this case), and the likely reason behind the promotion is that scammers seek to acquire illegitimate commissions by abusing affiliate programs. However, endorsed products/services can be merely imitating genuine ones or possess harmful features. Therefore, we highly recommend seeking products and services only from their official sources.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Solana Giveaway" scam website
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Airdrop distributing Solana (SOL) cryptocurrency
Related Domains	claimsolananow.pages[.]dev
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.66.47.97
Distribution methods	Spam emails, compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Potential loss of sensitive private information or funds.
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-centered scam examples

We have written about countless crypto-specific scams; "Smart Node Chain", "BLAST GARDEN", "Claim Aerodrome Rewards", "$WSM Airdrop", and "Claim $REZ" are just some of our latest articles.

These schemes primarily operate in one of three ways – by using draining mechanisms to steal funds from exposed wallets, targeting wallet log-in credentials, and deceiving users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

Victims' interest and trust are gained through various lures, e.g., airdrops/giveaways, new coin/token promotions, wallet issues, security concerns, and so on.

While online schemes are often shoddily crafted and riddled with mistakes, they can be competently made and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate sites. Hence, we advise vigilance when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

We discovered this fake "Solana Giveaway" through a spam email promoting it. However, this scam could be endorsed using different types of spam (e.g., DMs/PMs, social media/ forum posts, browser notifications, etc.) and other techniques.

Generally, online schemes are pushed via spam, webpages employing rogue advertising networks, malvertising (intrusive ads), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

In fact, social media spam is incredibly prevalent in cryptocurrency-centered scam promotion. The posts and direct/private messages endorsing this content can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, celebrities, entrepreneurs, influencers, etc.

Additionally, crypto drainers can be facilitated through intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some of these adverts are fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising various benefits. It is noteworthy that these pop-ups have been encountered on genuine websites that had been compromised.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We recommend exercising caution with advertisements and other online content, which makes promises that sounds too good to be true. It is important to pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully.

Suspicious webpages must not be permitted to deliver browser notifications; instead, these requests have to be ignored or denied (i.e., by pressing "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

We advise against using websites offering pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these sites usually utilize rogue advertising networks. Incoming emails and other messages have to be treated with vigilance; attachments or links found in dubious mail must not be opened.

Another recommendation is to download only from official and verified channels. Additionally, installations must 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/harmful 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.

Appearance of the fake "Solana Giveaway" (GIF):

Screenshot of a spam email promoting the "Solana Giveaway" scam:

Text presented in this email:

Subject: CLAIM YOUR TOKENS

SOLANA

 

Join the Solana Airdrop and Get your tokens!

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to be part of the Solana ecosystem. Join the Solana Airdrop today and receive free tokens straight to your wallet!

CLAIM AIRDROP

$99,999.99 SOL AVAILABLE TO CLAIM

Total Supply: $100,000 SOL

******Solana Foundation******

Payable by: Claim Manager

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 "Solana Giveaway" scam website?
• 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 content hosted on the Web that aims to deceive users into performing certain actions. For example, victims can be lured into purchasing products, downloading/installing software, subscribing to services, connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, making monetary transactions, disclosing sensitive information, calling fake helplines, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams aim to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals predominantly profit by promoting content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), obtaining funds through deception, abusing/selling private information, and spreading malware.

I have lost digital assets to an online scam, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible due to their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams that target digital assets cannot get them back.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect deceptive/malicious pages. Furthermore, Combo Cleaner can block access to such sites.

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