How to recognize scams like "Blockchain Rewards" phishing campaign
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is "Blockchain Rewards" scam campaign?
Our team has analyzed this scam campaign and found that there are at least two versions of this scam email. In both cases, the goal is to trick recipients into disclosing personal information on a deceptive website. Emails of this type are called phishing emails. Recipients should avoid such emails.
More about the "Blockchain Rewards" scam email
The first variant of the scam email pretends to be from the BLOCKCHAIN cryptocurrency platform. It informs the recipient that they have received a reward of $1,405 in their cryptocurrency wallet due to new policies. The email encourages the recipient to click the "Claim your rewards" button/link.
The second variant offers a "complete guide" to Blockchain Loyalty Rewards Programs. It contains a "Learn More" button/link. The link in both emails is designed to open a deceptive website that offers users the opportunity to earn up to 10% annually and receive daily or monthly rewards on their crypto. The site encourages users to claim a reward.
Clicking the "Claim Reward" button leads to a prompt to connect a wallet using a recovery phrase, keystore, or a private key. The entered information is sent to scammers. With access to the wallet's private keys or recovery phrase, the scammers can access the wallet and steal all victim's cryptocurrency funds.
It is important to mention that stolen funds are nearly impossible to recover. Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible, meaning once the funds are stolen by scammers, they cannot be retrieved. Therefore, it is important to be careful with suspicious emails containing links and not provide personal information on shady websites.
| Name | Blockchain Rewards Email Scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipients can claim a reward |
| Related Domain | chainfinderhub[.]tech |
| Detection Names | N/A (VirusTotal) |
| Disguise | Letter from BLOCKCHAIN platform |
| Symptoms | Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains. |
| Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Similar scams in general
Cryptocurrency scams that trick users into revealing private keys or recovery phrases can lead to irreversible financial losses. To avoid these scams, users should never share their wallet credentials and should be cautious of unsolicited offers or rewards.
More examples of phishing schemes are "Payroll Report Status", "Email Password Time Running Out", and "New Security Updates On Email Servers". Emails can be used not only to steal information but also to distribute malicious software.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Cybercriminals deceive users into executing malware by sending emails with malicious attachments or links. Malware can infect systems through actions made by users, such as running executable files, enabling macros in compromised MS Office documents, opening script files, executing the contents of malicious archives, etc.
These emails may also contain links that lead to fake websites, where users could be tricked into downloading malware or may initiate automatic malware downloads once clicked.
How to avoid installation of malware?
Avoid interacting with pop-ups and ads on untrustworthy sites. Do not allow questionable websites to send notifications. Be cautious with emails from unknown senders, particularly those with links or attachments. Only download apps and files from reputable sources (official app stores and websites).
Avoid using peer-to-peer networks, third-party downloaders, shady sites, and similar channels. Keep your security software, apps, and operating system up to date, and run regular scans to detect any potential threats. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
The appearance of the "Blockchain Rewards" fake website (GIF):
Text presented in the first "Blockchain Rewards" email letter:
BLOCKCHAIN
Congratulations USER To celebrate the new crypto policies you have received a Reward of $1,405 in your crytocurrency wallet
Claim your rewards
Screenshot of the second variant:
Text in this variant:
The Complete Guide
Blockchain Loyalty Rewards Programs
Learn More >>
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is Blockchain Rewards phishing email?
- Types of malicious emails.
- How to spot a malicious email?
- What to do if you fell for an email scam?
Types of malicious emails:
Phishing Emails
Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.
Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.
After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.
Emails with Malicious Attachments
Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.
In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.
If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.
While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.
Sextortion Emails
This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.
To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.
How to spot a malicious email?
While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:
- Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
- Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
- Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
- Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.
To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
Example of a spam email:
What to do if you fell for an email scam?
- If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
- If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
- If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
- If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
- Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did I receive this email?
You likely received a scam email because scammers send out same emails to random addresses, hoping to trick at least some recipients. They may have found your email through data leaks, online lists, or other ways.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?
If you have provided your recovery phrase, keystore, or a private key to scammers, change the login information and notify the exchange or wallet service. For future protection, store your recovery phrase and private keys offline and avoid sharing them with anyone.
I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?
If the file was an executable (.exe or similar), it likely infected your system. However, if it was a document file like a .pdf or .doc, you might be safe, as just opening it often is not enough for malware to infect your device.
I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in such email, can I get my money back?
These transactions are almost impossible to trace, so recovering the funds is unlikely.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
Simply opening an email is safe. The risk comes from clicking on links or opening attachments within shady emails.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Combo Cleaner is effective at identifying and removing most known pieces of malware. However, more sophisticated threats can hide deep within the system, so running a full scan is required to ensure removal.
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