Avoid losing your digital assets to fake "Puffer Airdrop" websites

What is the fake "Puffer Airdrop"?

During a routine investigative session, our researchers discovered a fake "Puffer Airdrop" on app-pufferfi[.]co (keep in mind that the scam could be hosted on other domains).

The scheme impersonates the Puffer Finance platform (puffer.fi) but is in no way associated with it or any other existing entities. This fake airdrop is a cryptocurrency drainer that aims to steal digital assets 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 "Puffer Airdrop" overview

This fake "Puffer Airdrop" is promoted on app-pufferfi[.]co, but it could be hosted on other domains as well. This scam is disguised as Puffer Finance (puffer.fi) – a decentralized liquid staking platform. It lures victims with a bogus airdrop (giveaway).

It must be reiterated that this fake page is not associated with the real Puffer Finance or any other existing platforms and entities.

The scheme is a crypto drainer. When a user attempts to check their eligibility for taking part in the airdrop, they are prompted to connect their digital wallet. In doing so, they trigger the execution of scripts that facilitate the cryptocurrency-draining mechanism.

Basically, the victim's funds are transferred to wallets in the cyber criminals' possession. These automated transactions may appear innocuous – thereby remaining unnoticed for a long time. Drainers may be capable of roughly estimating the value of digital assets and prioritizing the theft.

It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Puffer Airdrop" cannot retrieve the stolen assets.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Puffer Airdrop" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Airdrop on the Puffer Finance platform
Related Domains	app-pufferfi[.]co, claims.puffere[.]fi
Detection Names (app-pufferfi[.]co)	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (app-pufferfi[.]co)	172.67.137.131
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 investigated countless online scams; "Claim SOLV Points Boost", "Defi Origin", "CLAIM $BabyBNB", and "Renzo ezEIGEN Allocation" are merely some of our latest articles on cryptocurrency drainers.

Crypto-specific schemes primarily function by using draining mechanisms to siphon funds from compromised wallets, targeting wallet log-in credentials, and deceiving users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

While online scams are often poorly put together and full of mistakes, they can be competently crafted and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate sites. Therefore, we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are often promoted via intrusive pop-up ads. These advertisements may be capable of executing draining scripts themselves; they entice users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising various benefits. Pop-ups of this kind have even been encountered on genuine websites that had been compromised.

Another prevalent promotional technique is social media spam. These posts and DMs/PMs can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, etc.).

Other endorsement methods are not unlikely. Aside from the aforementioned techniques, online schemes are promoted through sites using rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, browser notifications, forum posts, etc.), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, be wary of advertisements and sites making promises that sound too good to be true. Always pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Do not permit dubious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny these requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Do not use websites offering pirated software/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious mail.

Download from official/verified channels and approach installations with care (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous 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 "Puffer Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Puffer Finance website (puffer.fi):

Another example of a Puffer airdrop-themed drainer website (claims.puffere[.]fi):

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 "Puffer Airdrop" 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?

An online scam is a type of content promoted on the Internet that aims to deceive users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be lured into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, purchasing products, disclosing sensitive data, downloading/installing software, subscribing to services, calling fake helplines, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

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

I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in the "Puffer Airdrop" scam, can I get my money back?

No, these transactions cannot be reversed due to their nearly untraceable nature.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for deceptive/malicious content. Therefore, should you enter such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be denied.

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