Avoid losing digital assets to fake "Fantom Airdrop" websites

What is the fake "Fantom Airdrop" website?

This "Fantom Airdrop" is fake. We found this scam on phntm-found.pages[.]dev, yet it could be hosted elsewhere. This hoax giveaway is supposedly distributing Fantom (FTM) tokens. Instead, the scheme operates as a cryptocurrency drainer.

It must be stressed that this fake "Fantom Airdrop" is in no way associated with the actual Fantom platform (fantom.foundation) or any others.

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 "Fantom Airdrop" website overview

This scam imitates Fantom (fantom.foundation) – a DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) smart contract platform. The scheme claims to be running an airdrop of FTM – Fantom's native token.

It must be reiterated that this giveaway is fake, and the scam is not associated with the Fantom platform or any other existing projects and entities.

When users attempt to participate in the airdrop and connect their digital wallets, the crypto drainer is executed. Basically, a malicious contract is signed that facilitates the theft of funds from victims' wallets. These transactions are automated and may appear innocuous, thereby remaining unnoticed for a long time. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft.

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 "Fantom Airdrop" website cannot recover the stolen funds.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Fantom Airdrop" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Airdrop on the Fantom platform
Related Domains	phntm-found.pages[.]dev
Detection Names	Combo Cleaner (Phishing), Emsisoft (Phishing), ESET (Phishing), G-Data (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Netcraft (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.66.47.119
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 countless online scams; "Unichain Rewards", "MANTRA Registration", "Tether Giveaway", and "MoonBag Presale" are just some examples of crypto drainers.

Cryptocurrency-specific schemes operate in one of three primary ways – utilizing draining mechanisms to siphon assets from exposed wallets, targeting wallet log-in credentials, and tricking users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

While the widely held belief that online scams are poorly put together and full of mistakes is not untrue, it is not always the case. They can be competently crafted, and some even perfectly copy the design of legitimate websites. Therefore, always be vigilant when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are often promoted via malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up ads. Some of these adverts are fully functional drainers themselves; they lure users into "linking" digital wallets by promising various benefits. It is worth mentioning that these pop-ups have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been hacked.

Additionally, cryptocurrency-centered schemes are endorsed through social media spam. Promotional posts and private/direct messages (PMs/DMs) can be made using accounts stolen from real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, etc.

Other endorsement techniques are not unlikely. Aside from those aforementioned, online scams are promoted via websites using rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, browser notifications, forum posts, etc.), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

The key to online safety is caution. Therefore, be vigilant when browsing and avoid ads/sites making promises that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully.

Do not use websites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are typically monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Do not allow suspect pages to display browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny these requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Approach incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages cautiously; do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/verified sources and treat installations with care (e.g., study terms, explore options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software from infiltrating the system.

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 "Fantom Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Fantom website (fantom.foundation):

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 "Fantom 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?

Online scams are a type of content promoted on the Internet that aims to deceive users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be enticed into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing sensitive information, calling fake support lines, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by acquiring funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, software, products, etc.), abusing/selling sensitive data, and spreading malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Fantom Airdrop" scam, can I get my money back?

These transactions cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Fantom Airdrop" site cannot recover the stolen assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

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

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