How to avoid scams like "THETA Airdrop"

What is fake "THETA Airdrop"?

During our analysis of the page (allocation.thetasnetworks[.]net), we found that it is a scam web page imitating the official Theta Network site, thetatoken[.]org. Scammers use the fraudulent page to steal cryptocurrency from unsuspecting individuals. Thus, it should not be trusted and should be avoided.

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.

"THETA Airdrop" scam website in detail

Theta Network is a Layer 1 blockchain and decentralized platform for video, AI, and entertainment. It features two key parts: the Theta Blockchain for staking, payments, and smart contracts, and the Theta Edge Network for computing and video delivery. It has two native tokens: THETA for governance and staking, and TFUEL for transactions.

On the fake website (allocation.thetasnetworks[.]net), individuals are offered to participate in an airdrop (a cryptocurrency giveaway). In order to get tokens, the site instructs visitors to click the "CLAIM AIRDROP ALLOCATION" button and connect their wallets. However, connecting a wallet on this scam page signs a malicious contract.

Signing a malicious contract executes a cryptocurrency drainer, which is designed to automatically transfer funds from the victim’s wallet to the scammer’s. It is important to note that recovering the lost cryptocurrency is nearly impossible, as transfers are permanent unless the recipient voluntarily returns the funds.

Overall, falling for scams of this type can result in irreversible and significant financial loss. Therefore, individuals must be cautious when using crypto platforms and ensure their legitimacy to prevent such risks.

Threat Summary:

Name	Fake THETA Airdrop
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Participants can receive free tokens
Disguise	Legitimate airdrop/giveaway organized by Theta Network
Related Domain	allocation.thetasnetworks[.]net
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Unofficial domain, lack of official verification, unrealistic claims, too good-to-be-true promises.
Distribution methods	Compromised/hijacked websites, stolen or fake social media profiles, rogue online pop-up ads, unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
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Similar scams in general

Scammers disguise their schemes as legitimate giveaways, projects, or platforms to trick users into taking actions that can lead to the theft of their cryptocurrency. When users unknowingly activate crypto drainers, their funds can be stolen immediately.

Some examples of similar scams are the fake "Nesara Gesara Payout Claim", "ROBOTAXI ($TAXI)", and "OpenSeaPro - Gemesis Minting" platforms. In order to avoid becoming a victim of these scams, it is important to be cautious and thoroughly vet any crypto platforms before engaging with them.

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers promote websites with cryptocurrency drainers mainly through stolen or fake social media profiles, especially on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or hijacked WordPress websites. Also, users may be directed to scam sites via misleading notifications from fraudulent websites, deceptive advertisements, pop-up messages, and fishy buttons on shady pages.

Moreover, scam sites tend to be accessed via pages that employ rogue advertising networks, commonly used on torrent sites, adult content platforms, illegal movie streaming websites, etc. In other cases, users land on scam pages by clicking on ads generated by adware and following links from fraudulent emails.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Do not open files or links found in suspicious (e.g., irrelevant or unexpected) emails from unknown addresses. Download programs and files from official websites (or app stores). Avoid interacting with pop-ups, buttons, ads, links, and similar elements on questionable web pages. Do not allow shady sites to send you notifications.

Regularly update the operating system and the software installed on it. Additionally, use a reputable security tool. If your computer is already infected with unwanted apps, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

The appearance of "THETA Airdrop" scam (GIF):

Official Theta Network webite (thetatoken[.]org):

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake THETA Airdrop?
• 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 a crypto scam?

It is a scam used to trick individuals into performing certain actions that serve the interests of the scammers. These actions usually lead to financial losses or other issues.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

Usually, scammers behind scams of this type aim to steal personal information, access crypto wallets, and steal cryptocurrency.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Scam websites are promoted using deceptive emails, misleading advertisements, fake or stolen social media accounts, notifications from dubious pages, sites that use rogue advertising networks (e.g., torrent sites or illegal movie streaming pages), and similar channels.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me scams?

Combo Cleaner analyzes websites for potential threats, detects scam sites, and provides alerts. It also restricts access to harmful or misleading sites.

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