Avoid losing digital assets to fake "Unichain Rewards" websites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is the fake "Unichain Rewards" website?
We found this fake "Unichain Rewards" site – unichain-quest[.]com – (could be hosted elsewhere) while investigating deceptive websites. This scam promises rewards for bridging. Instead of granting any benefits, this fraudulent webpage facilities a crypto drainer. Basically, the scheme steals digital assets from victims' cryptowallets.
It must be stressed that regardless of potential visual similarities, this scam is not associated with any existing projects, platforms, or 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 "Unichain Rewards" website overview
This "Unichain Rewards" scam was endorsed on unichain-quest[.]com, yet it could also be hosted on other domains. This bogus webpage offers rewards for bridging – transferring digital assets between different blockchain networks.
It must be reiterated that the promises made by this scam are false, and it is in no way associated with existing platforms or entities.
Once a wallet is connected, the scheme executes cryptocurrency-draining scripts. Essentially, victims sign a malicious contract that enables the theft of funds from their cryptowallets. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and target them first. This activity is automated and may remain unnoticed for a long time, as the transactions can appear vague.
It has to be mentioned that due to the nearly untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Therefore, funds lost to scams like this fake "Unichain Rewards" site cannot be recovered.
Name | "Unichain Rewards" crypto drainer |
Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer |
Fake Claim | Rewards for bridging |
Related Domains | unichain-quest[.]com |
Detection Names (unichain-quest[.]com) | Combo Cleaner (Phishing), CRDF (Malicious), Emsisoft (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Netcraft (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
Serving IP Address (unichain-quest[.]com) | 172.67.200.129 |
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
"MANTRA Registration", "Tether Giveaway", "MoonBag Presale", and "$BIFI Token Airdrop" are merely a few of our latest articles on cryptocurrency drainers.
Crypto-targeting schemes typically operate in one of three ways – using draining mechanisms to siphon assets from wallets, phishing for wallet log-in credentials, and tricking users into manually transferring funds to criminal-owned wallets.
Various false claims are used to gain victims' interest and trust, e.g., fake rewards, new coin/token promotions, airdrops/giveaways, suspicious activity detections, account/wallet issues, and so forth.
Due to how prevalent deceptive and malicious content is on the Web and how well-crafted it can be – we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing.
How did I open a scam website?
Generally, online scams are endorsed via sites employing rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, browser notifications, social media/ forum posts, etc.), malvertising (intrusive ads), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.
Crypto drainers specifically have been observed being promoted through intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some are fully functional drainers themselves; they lure users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising various boons. It is worth mentioning that these adverts have been encountered on legitimate websites that had been hacked.
Additionally, cryptocurrency-specific schemes are promoted via social media spam. Promotional posts and direct/private messages can be made using accounts stolen from real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, organizations, and so on.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
Caution is key to not only online safety but the security of devices and users. Therefore, be wary of advertisements and websites making promises that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Do not use sites offering pirated software/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are typically monetized via rogue advertising networks.
Do not enable suspect pages to display browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny such requests (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Treat incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious mail.
Download from official/verified channels and approach installations with vigilance (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, 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 "Unichain Rewards" website (GIF):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Unichain Rewards" 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 certain actions. For example, victims can be tricked into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing private information, downloading/installing programs, buying products, and so forth.
What is the purpose of online scams?
Profit is the goal of online scams. Cyber criminals predominantly generate revenue by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and proliferating malware.
I have lost digital assets to the "Unichain Rewards" scam, can I get my money back?
Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because of their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, fund recovery is not possible.
Why do I encounter online scams?
Online scams are most commonly promoted via webpages using rogue advertising networks, malvertising, spam (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting, and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner is designed to scan every single website that you visit, and it can detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. Therefore, should you enter such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.
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