How to spot scams like the fake "The Sandbox Game" platform

What is the fake "The Sandbox Game" site?

During our inspection of the site (sandbox-game-airdrop.pages[.]dev), we found that it is a fake website mimicking the real one (sandbox[.]game). The fraudulent page is created by scammers who seek to steal funds (cryptocurrency) from unsuspecting individuals. Therefore, it is important not to interact with such websites.

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.

The fraudulent "The Sandbox Game" site in detail

Sandbox (sandbox[.]game) is a virtual world where players can create, own, and monetize their gaming experiences using the SAND token. SAND holders can participate in platform governance through a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). Sandbox aims to integrate blockchain into mainstream gaming, providing players with ownership, digital scarcity, monetization opportunities, and interoperability.

The fake website (sandbox-game-airdrop.pages[.]dev) is pretty similar to the original one. Scammers use this site to trick users into connecting their crypto wallets. A malicious contract is signed once a wallet is connected, activating a cryptocurrency drainer. This drainer is intended to automatically steal victims' crypto holdings.

Once launched, the drainer can transfer cryptocurrency from the victim's wallet to the scammer's. Such transactions are irreversible unless the scammer decides to return the stolen assets, which means falling victim to scams like sandbox-game-airdrop.pages[.]dev leads to irreversible financial loss.

To prevent this, users should thoroughly research any platform associated with cryptocurrency before using it. Being informed and cautious is crucial for protecting your assets from fraud.

Threat Summary:

Name	Fake The Sandbox Game website
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Disguise	Official The Sandbox Game website (sandbox[.]game)
Related Domain	sandbox-game-airdrop.pages[.]dev
Detection Names (sandbox-game-airdrop.pages[.]dev)	Ermes (Not Recommended), G-Data (Phishing), Seclookup (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (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.
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.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while Sandbox offers to monetize gaming experiences, users must remain vigilant against scams like the fake website sandbox-game-airdrop.pages[.]dev. Scammers can easily deceive individuals into connecting their wallets, resulting in irreversible financial losses. Thorough research with cryptocurrency platforms is essential to avoid falling victim to such scams.

Some examples of other fake platforms involving crypto drainers are "Join Injective Airdrop", "Aave check eligibility", and "$BabyElon Allocation".

How did I open a scam website?

Scam websites utilizing crypto drainers tend to be promoted using fake or stolen X (formerly Twitter) accounts and hijacked WordPress websites. Users can also be lured into visiting scam pages through deceptive advertisements, pop-ups, buttons, and links on untrustworthy websites (or notifications from sites of this kind).

Also, users can be tricked into opening fraudulent pages via scam emails (or SMS) containing links and advertisements displayed by adware.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Do not open any suspicious attachments or links in unexpected or irrelevant emails, especially if they come from unknown addresses. Do not allow dubious websites to display notifications, and avoid interacting with pop-ups, ads, and links on untrustworthy sites. Always download software and files from reputable websites or official app stores.

Keep your operating system and applications updated, use reliable security tools, and regularly scan your computer for potential threats. 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 "The Sandbox Game" fake site (GIF):

Official page (sandbox[.]game):

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 Fake The Sandbox Game website?
• 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 scam website?

A scam website is a site designed to deceive users into taking specific actions that benefit scammers.

What is the purpose of a scam page?

In most cases, scammers use such websites to steal money or personal infromation. They can also use scam websites to deliver malware.

Why do I encounter scam pages?

Scam websites are spread through deceptive emails and hacked social media accounts (e.g., platforms like X/Twitter or Facebook). Scammers also leverage misleading ads, pop-ups, and other dubious content on unreliable sites to deceive users. Moreover, websites linked to questionable advertising networks and adware can redirect users to these untrustworthy sites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan every website you visit and can identify malicious ones. It also detects sites intended for scams, providing immediate warnings and restricting access to ensure your safety.

▼ Show Discussion