Avoid losing digital assets to fake "Virtuals Protocol" website
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is the fake "Virtuals Protocol" website?
Fake Virtuals Protocol website refers to a site imitating the Virtuals Protocol platform (virtuals.io). It is a scam that lures users into connecting their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer.
We found this scheme on app-virtual.pages[.]dev, but it could be promoted on other domains. Victims of this fraudulent website experience financial loss. It must be emphasized that this scam is in no way associated with the real Virtuals Protocol.
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 "Virtuals Protocol" website overview
At the time of writing, this scam is promoted on app-virtual.pages[.]dev – however, it could also be hosted on other domains. It masquerades as Virtuals Protocol (virtuals.io) – a Web3 platform that uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) agents to generate content and revenue across various mediums (e.g., entertainment, gaming, social media, etc.).
It must be stressed that this fake site is not associated with the actual Virtuals Protocol or any other existing platforms, projects, and entities.
When a cryptowallet is linked to this scheme, the cryptocurrency drainer is triggered. Basically, a malicious contract is signed that facilitates the automated transfer of funds from victims' wallets to those in the cyber criminals' possession. This activity may appear vague – thereby remaining unnoticed for a significant amount of time. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft.
It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake Virtuals Protocol website cannot recover the stolen funds.
| Name | Fake Virtuals Protocol Website crypto drainer |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer |
| Disguise | Virtuals Protocol platform |
| Related Domains | app-virtual.pages[.]dev |
| Detection Names | Seclookup (Malicious), Trustwave (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address | 172.66.44.209 |
| 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
We have written about countless online scams; "$RIO Rewards", "Stake SUSHI", and "TRIAS Token Contract Swap" are just a couple of our newest articles on drainers.
The Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content. Various false claims are used to gain and subsequently abuse users' trust, such as imitator sites/platforms, new coin/token promotions, airdrops/giveaways, pre-sale events, security upgrades, account/wallet issue detections, and so forth.
Regardless of how legitimate an online scam may appear, its end goal is always the same – to generate revenue at victims' expense. Therefore, always be vigilant when browsing and investing.
How did I open a scam website?
In general, online scams are endorsed via webpages using rogue advertising networks, intrusive adverts (malvertising), spam (e.g., emails, social media/ forum posts, DMs/PMs, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.
Cryptocurrency drainers specifically have been promoted through intrusive pop-up advertisements. These pop-ups may be encountered on legitimate websites that have been compromised.
Additionally, crypto-centered schemes are often endorsed via social media spam. Promotional posts and direct/private messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, celebrities, influencers, and so on.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
Caution is key to online safety. Therefore, exercise it when you encounter advertisements and websites making promises that sound too good to be true. Always pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully.
Do not use sites offering pirated software/media or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming or downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized through rogue advertising networks.
Do not permit dubious pages to display browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny their notification requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Treat incoming emails and other messages with caution; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail.
Download from official/trustworthy sources and approach installations with care (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software (like adware) 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 "Virtuals Protocol" website (GIF):
Screenshot of the official Virtuals Protocol website (virtuals.io):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is Fake Virtuals Protocol Website 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 Internet content intended to deceive users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be lured into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, making monetary transactions, disclosing private information, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, subscribing to services, etc.
What is the purpose of online scams?
The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing sensitive information, and proliferating malware.
I have lost digital assets to the "Fake Virtuals Protocol Website" scam, can I get my money back?
Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because of their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake Virtuals Protocol website cannot get their money back.
Why do I encounter online scams?
Online scams are predominantly promoted through malvertising, spam (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), sites using rogue advertising networks, typosquatting, and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner can scan every website that you visit and detect rogue, deceptive/scam, and malicious pages. Therefore, should you happen upon such a site – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be denied.
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