Avoid losing your digital assets to fake "$VANA Airdrop" websites

What is the fake "$VANA Airdrop"?

While investigating suspicious websites, our researchers discovered this fake "$VANA Airdrop" on signup-vana[.]com (but it could be hosted elsewhere). Users who register can supposedly take part in a token airdrop – instead, they expose their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer.

It must be emphasized that this scam is not associated with the real Vana network (vana.org) or any other existing projects, platforms, and 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 "$VANA Airdrop" overview

This scam impersonates Vana (vana.org) – a network that leverages blockchain technology and provides AI (Artificial Intelligence) related services. Vana allows users to own their data and use it to train AI models, as well as own, govern, and earn through them.

The fake site – signup-vana[.]com (keep in mind that the scheme could also be hosted on other domains) – promotes an airdrop that users who register can participate in.

It must be stressed that this giveaway is a hoax, and this scam is in no way associated with the actual Vana platform or any other existing projects and entities.

When users connect their cryptowallets – they expose them to a cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, scripts are executed that facilitate the transfer of funds from victims to scammer-owned wallets. These transactions are automated and may appear vague, thereby remaining unnoticed for a long time.

Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft. Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible due to their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "$VANA Airdrop" cannot get their money back.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$VANA Airdrop" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Airdrop on Vana network
Related Domains	signup-vana[.]com
Detection Names (signup-vana[.]com)	CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), G-Data (Phishing), alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (signup-vana[.]com)	104.21.37.193
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

"Hyperlane Registration", "Claim $NEMO", and "PEANUT Airdrop" are just a couple examples of crypto drainers. Aside from utilizing draining mechanisms, cryptocurrency-targeting schemes operate by tricking users into disclosing their wallet log-in credentials or manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

The Internet is rife with various scams, and while they are often poorly crafted and riddled with mistakes, they can be competently made and even believably presented as content associated with legitimate entities. Hence, we highly recommend vigilance when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are often endorsed via malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up adverts. These ads may be fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into connecting digital wallets by promising various benefits. Note that such pop-ups have been encountered on genuine websites that had been hacked.

Another common promotional technique is social media spam. Posts and direct/private messages (DMs/PMs) endorsing this content can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, celebrities, entrepreneurs, influencers, etc.

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

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, take note of URLs and type them attentively. Be wary of advertisements and sites making promises that sound too good to be true.

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

Do not enable questionable pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or deny such requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Treat incoming emails and other messages with vigilance; do not open attachments or links found in suspect/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/verified channels and approach installations carefully (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software (like adware) 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 "$VANA Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Vana website (vana.org):

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 "$VANA 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 deceptive content intended to trick users into performing certain actions. To elaborate, victims can be deceived into connecting cryptowallets to cryptocurrency drainers, providing sensitive data, sending money to scammers, downloading/installing programs, buying products, subscribing to services, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The goal of online scams is much the same as that of other types – to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., sites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and proliferating malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are nearly untraceable – hence, they cannot be reversed. This means that victims of scams like this fake "$VANA Airdrop" cannot recover the stolen funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

The most prevalent promotional techniques include: websites that use rogue advertising networks, malvertising (intrusive ads), spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, social media/ forum posts, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan every website that you visit and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. Additionally, Combo Cleaner can block all further access to such sites.

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