How to spot scams like "$testME Token Claim"

What is fake "$testME Token Claim" website?

Our examination of the site (testme.mefoundaiton[.]xyz) has shown that it is a deceptive platform offering individuals to claim $testME tokens. The true purpose of this web page is to steal cryptocurrency from victims. Therefore, this and similar sites should be avoided.

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.

"$testME Token Claim" scam website in detail

$TestME is a test token from the ME Foundation, used by Magic Eden to trial the mobile claiming process for the upcoming $ME token. It has no real value and is meant to help users practice claiming tokens and verify their wallets are set up for the official claim.

On the fake website (testme.mefoundaiton[.]xyz), individuals are offered to check their eligibility for $testME token claim. The site provides the "Check Eligibility" option (button) which leads to a request to connect a wallet. However, connecting a wallet on this fraudulent website executes a cryptocurrency drainer.

This drainer is a malicious tool that drains cryptocurrency wallets by transferring crypto holdings from the victim's wallet to the scammer's. Therefore, once victims connect a wallet on testme.mefoundaiton[.]xyz, they risk losing all the cryptocurrency that they have in their wallets.

Unfortunately, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed unless the recipient sends the funds back. In other words, victims who fall for scams like this one are likely to lose their crypto holdings permanently. For this reason, it is highly advisable to examine crypto platforms before connecting wallets, transferring cryptocurrency, providing personal information, or taking other actions.

Threat Summary:

Name	$testME Token Claim fake website
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Participans can check their eligibility for claiming $testME tokens
Related Domain	testme.mefoundaiton[.]xyz
Detection Names	alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), G-Data (Phishing), 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.

Similar scams in general

Scammers behind these schemes aim to steal cryptocurrency. They typically lure people in with offers of free crypto or rewards, tricking victims into connecting their wallets. Checking the legitimacy of a website can help prevent losing money or facing other problems. Some examples of similar scams are "$RIO Rewards", "TRIAS Token Contract Swap", and "$APU Airdrop Registration".

How did I open a scam website?

Users often land on scam pages by clicking misleading ads, pop-ups, and links on unreliable websites. Opening links in deceptive emails or messages can also lead users to shady web pages, including sites hosting various scams. It is common for scams involving cryptocurrency drainers to be promoted using fake or stolen social media accounts and hijacked WordPress pages.

In other cases, visiting sites associated with rogue advertising networks (e.g., torrent web pages or adult sites) and clicking notifications from suspicious web pages and ads displayed by adware can lead users to scam websites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Avoid clicking suspicious links (and opening files) in emails or other messages, especially if they are irrelevant, unexpected, from unknown senders, etc. Do not trust advertisements and pop-ups encountered on questionable websites, and do not consent to receive notifications from websites of this kind.

Use a reliable security tool and keep the operating system and all installed apps up to date. Download software from reliable sources (official websites or app stores). Regularly scan your computer for unwanted apps. Avoid visiting torrent sites, platforms offering illegal movie streaming services, and similar pages.

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 "$testME Token Claim" scam website (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is $testME Token Claim fake 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 fake cryptocurrency giveaway?

A fake cryptocurrency giveaway is a scam where fraudsters promise free cryptocurrency in exchange for personal information, wallet access, or a small upfront payment.

What is the purpose of a fake giveaway?

Scammers use fake giveaways to steal cryptocurrency and (or) personal information from victims.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Users can end up on scam pages by clicking misleading ads, pop-ups, or links from unreliable websites and deceptive emails. Also, scams are often promoted through fake social media accounts or hijacked websites. Visiting sites with rogue ads, such as torrent or adult sites, or clicking suspicious notifications can also direct users to scams.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner scans websites you visit to detect harmful ones, including scam sites. It alerts users and blocks access to unsafe pages.

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