Avoid losing digital assets to fake "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" websites

What is the fake "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" website?

This "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" scam (runiverse[.]claims; could be hosted elsewhere) is a cryptocurrency drainer. It lures users with the promise of a chance to receive RUNE tokens. This scheme does not distribute any digital assets – instead, it steals them by siphoning the funds from exposed cryptowallets.

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 "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" website overview

This scam is supposedly distributing RUNE tokens through a "loot box" mechanism, which is prevalent in video games. We discovered "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" on runiverse[.]claims, but it could be promoted on other domains as well.

It must be stressed that this scheme is not giving out tokens, and it is in no way associated with any existing platforms or entities.

Potential participants are prompted to connect their digital wallets. By doing so, users basically sign a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency-draining mechanism. It automatically transfers funds to scammer-owned wallets. These transactions may appear innocuous – thereby remaining unnoticed for a significant amount of time.

Drainers might be able to approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft. Furthermore, because of the nearly untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Therefore, victims of scams like this fraudulent "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" site cannot recover their funds.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	RUNE token distribution through a "loot crate [box]" system.
Related Domains	runiverse[.]claims
Detection Names (runiverse[.]claims)	Kaspersky (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (runiverse[.]claims)	172.67.183.73
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

We have written about numerous crypto drainers; "$KINTO TGE Check Allocations", "$PAWS Token Distribution", "BlockDAG Presale", "Wallet Guard", and "GetFit Mining" are merely some of our latest articles.

Cryptocurrency-specific scams operate in three primary ways – draining funds from exposed wallets, phishing for wallet log-in credentials, and deceiving users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

Various lures are used to gain victims' interest and trust, such as airdrops/giveaways, new coin/token promotions, pre-sale events, account/wallet issues, security updates, etc.

Due to how widespread online scams are and how well-crafted they can be – we strongly advise exercising caution when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

In general, online scams are promoted through spam (e.g., PMs/DMs, social media/ forum posts, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), malvertising, websites that utilize rogue advertising networks, typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

Crypto drainers are often endorsed via malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up adverts. Advertisements of this kind can be fully functional drainers themselves. These pop-ups may even be encountered on legitimate websites that have been hacked.

Cryptocurrency-specific scams are also spread through social media spam. PMs/DMs and posts endorsing this content can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, celebrities, entrepreneurs, influencers, and so on.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to online safety. 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 use websites offering pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually use rogue advertising networks.

Do not enable dubious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny such requests (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Approach incoming emails, DMs/PMs, and other messages with vigilance; do not open attachments or links present in suspect mail.

Download only from official/verified channels and treat installations with care (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful software (like adware) from infiltrating systems.

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 "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" website (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" 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 deceptive messages intended to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be enticed into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, revealing vulnerable data, transferring money to scammers, purchasing products, downloading/installing software, subscribing to services, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The goal of online scams is to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, programs, products, services, etc.), abusing/selling private data, and proliferating malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" scam, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like the fake "$RUNE Loot Crate Claims" website cannot recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect rogue, deceptive/scam, and malicious pages. Hence, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be restricted.

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