Avoid losing digital assets to fake "$PAWS Token Distribution" websites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is the fake "$PAWS Token Distribution" website?
While investigating suspect sites, our researchers discovered this fake "$PAWS Token Distribution" page. The scam was promoted on allocate-pawscoin[.]xyz, yet it could be hosted elsewhere.
The webpage claims to be distributing tokens – instead, it operates as a cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, funds are transferred from victims' digital wallets to those in the scammers' possession.
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 $1 billion in crypto to scams – that's about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method.
Fake "$PAWS Token Distribution" website overview
This scam claims to be distributing "PAWS" tokens from a pool of 10 million. We discovered the scheme on allocate-pawscoin[.]xyz; keep in mind that it could also be hosted on other domains.
It must be stressed that regardless of potential visual similarities, this scam is not associated with any existing platforms or entities.
Once a victim "connects" their digital wallet – the cryptocurrency drainer is triggered. Basically, digital assets are transferred to scammer-owned wallets. These automated transactions may appear innocuous – thereby remaining unnoticed for a significant amount of time. Drainers may be capable of roughly estimating the value of assets and targeting them first.
It must be mentioned that due to the practically untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "$PAWS Token Distribution" website cannot get their money back.
| Name | "$PAWS Token Distribution" crypto drainer |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer |
| Disguise | Limited-time offer to claim PAWS tokens. |
| Related Domains | allocate-pawscoin[.]xyz, ailocation-pawscoin[.]com |
| Detection Names (allocate-pawscoin[.]xyz) | CRDF (Malicious), Emsisoft (Phishing), Fortinet (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Netcraft (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (allocate-pawscoin[.]xyz) | 172.67.146.206 |
| 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
We have written about numerous crypto drainers; "BlockDAG Presale", "$W Token Distribution", "Wallet Guard", and "GetFit Mining" are just some of our latest articles.
Aside from utilizing draining mechanisms, cryptocurrency-targeting schemes commonly phish for wallet log-in credentials or trick users into manually transferring funds to wallets in the cyber criminals' possession.
However, various scams are endorsed on the Web. While online scams are often poorly put together and riddled with mistakes, they can be competently crafted and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate sites.
How did I open a scam website?
Online scams are widely promoted via webpages that use rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, PMs/DMs, social media/ forum posts, browser notifications, etc.), malvertising (intrusive adverts), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.
Drainers are often endorsed through intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some are fully functional drainers – they entice users into "connecting" cryptowallets by promising various benefits. These pop-ups have been encountered on genuine websites that had been hacked.
Another common promotional technique is social media spam. These posts and private/direct messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, entrepreneurs, celebrities, etc.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
We highly recommend exercising caution when browsing. Advertisements and other online content making promises that sound too good to be true must be approached with vigilance. It is important to pay attention to URLs and type them carefully.
We advise against using sites offering pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages typically employ rogue advertising networks.
Suspicious webpages 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.). Incoming emails and other messages must be approached cautiously; attachments or links found in suspect mail must not be opened.
Another recommendation is to download from official/verified channels and treat installations with care (e.g., by studying terms and options, using "Customer/Advanced" settings, opting out of additional apps, extensions, 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.
Appearance of the fake "$PAWS Token Distribution" website (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:
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Quick menu:
- What is "$PAWS Token Distribution" 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 deceptive content hosted on the Internet; it aims to deceive users into performing certain actions. For example, victims can be enticed into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing sensitive information, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, and so forth.
What is the purpose of online scams?
The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals predominantly profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., sites, software, products, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and spreading malware.
I have lost digital assets to the "$PAWS Token Distribution" scam, can I get my money back?
Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible due to their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "$PAWS Token Distribution" site cannot recover their funds.
Why do I encounter online scams?
The most prevalent promotional techniques include: spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), websites using rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads, mistyped URLs, and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited sites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. Therefore, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.
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