Avoid having your digital assets stolen by fake "$RIO Rewards" sites

What is the fake "$RIO Rewards" website?

"$RIO Rewards" is a scam that mimics the Realio platform (realio.network). The fake page promises RIO rewards – the cryptocurrency and utility token of Realio Network – to users who register within 24 hours. Those who try to register on the imitator site expose their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer.

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 "$RIO Rewards" website overview

We discovered this scam promoted on allocations-realio[.]com – however, it could be hosted on other domains as well. This webpage is presented as the official website of the Realio Network (realio.network). The real Realio is a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) platform for blockchain tokenization of Real-World Assets (RWAs).

The scam page urges users to register within 24 hours for a chance to receive Realio's cryptocurrency and utility tokens (RIO). It must be emphasized that the promise of rewards is fake, and this site is in no way associated with the actual Realio Network or any other projects, platforms, and entities.

Once a digital wallet is connected to the scam, a cryptocurrency drainer is activated. Basically, a malicious contract is signed that facilitates the transfer of victims' assets to scammer-owned wallets. These automated transactions may appear innocuous, thus they can remain unnoticed for a long time. Some drainers can roughly estimate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft.

Cryptocurrency transactions are practically untraceable, which makes them irreversible. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "$RIO Rewards" website – cannot get their money back.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$RIO Rewards" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Fake Claim	RIO rewards to users who register within 24 hours.
Disguise	Realio Network
Related Domains	allocations-realio[.]com
Detection Names (allocations-realio[.]com)	Cluster25 (Phishing), CyRadar (Phishing), G-Data (Phishing, Kaspersky (Phishing), Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (allocations-realio[.]com)	172.67.143.69
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

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Scams that seek digital currencies tend to do so in one of three ways – using draining mechanisms to siphon funds from victims' wallets, targeting wallet log-in credentials, and deceiving users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

Various lures are used to gain victims' interest and trust, such as claims concerning rewards/giveaways/airdrops, new coin/token promotions, pre-sale events, account/wallet issues, security updates, and so forth.

Online schemes are often poorly put together and riddled with mistakes, but they can be competently crafted and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate sites.

How did I open a scam website?

Intrusive pop-up advertisements (malvertising) are commonly used in cryptocurrency drainer promotion. Some of these ads are fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising various boons. It is pertinent to mention that such adverts have been encountered on legitimate websites that had been compromised.

Additionally, crypto-specific schemes are prevalent on social media platforms; we have discovered many instances of their promotion on X (often referred to by its former name – Twitter). These spam posts and direct/private messages (DMs/PMs) can be made using accounts stolen from real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, organizations, etc.

However, other endorsement methods are not unlikely. In addition to the previously mentioned techniques, online scams are promoted through websites using rogue advertising networks, typosquatting (misspelled URLs), spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, forum posts, browser notifications, etc.), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

The Internet is rife with well-disguise deceptive and malicious content. Therefore, exercising caution while browsing is paramount to online safety. Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Do not trust ads and sites making offers that sound too good to be true.

Do not enable suspicious webpages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny such requests (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Do not use websites offering pirated programs/media or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming or downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages usually utilize rogue advertising networks.

Be vigilant with incoming emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, and other messages; do not open attachments or links present in suspicious/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/trustworthy channels and approach installations with care (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, tools, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful 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 "$RIO Rewards" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Realio Network website (realio.network):

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 "$RIO 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 Web that aims to trick users into performing certain actions. For example, victims can be enticed/scared into connecting digital wallets to cryptocurrency drainers, revealing sensitive information, sending money to scammers, downloading/installing software, buying products, calling fake helplines, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., sites, programs, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private information, and distributing malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "$RIO Rewards" website cannot get their money back.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to eliminate all kinds of threats. It can scan visited websites for deceptive/malicious content. Additionally, Combo Cleaner can block all further access to webpages hosting said content.

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