Avoid losing digital assets to fake "Privasea Registration" websites

What is the fake "Privasea Registration" website?

During a routine investigation, our researchers discovered this fake "Privasea Registration" site (registration-privasea[.]org; other domains are possible). The scam imitates the Privasea AI Network (privasea.ai) and promises rewards to entice users into exposing their digital wallets to a crypto 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 "Privasea Registration" website overview

This scam is a close visual copy of the Privasea AI Network website (privasea.ai). Privasea is a DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) infrastructure for AI (Artificial Intelligence); it offers services concerning data privacy in the AI sphere.

We discovered this scheme promoted on registration-privasea[.]org, but it could also be hosted on other domains. The imitator page implies that users who register within 24 hours will receive some kind of reward.

It must be emphasized that this registration incentive is fake, and this scam is not associated with the actual Privasea or any other existing projects, platforms, and entities.

Once a digital wallet is connected in a registration attempt, a malicious contract is signed that facilitates the crypto drainer. Essentially, a process is triggered for funds to be transferred to scammer-owned wallets in automated transactions. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft.

These transactions can appear vague, thus remaining unnoticed for a long time. Cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature – therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Privasea Registration" site cannot recover their assets.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Privasea Registration" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Fake Claim	Implied rewards for registering within 24 hours.
Disguise	Privasea AI Network
Related Domains	registration-privasea[.]org
Detection Names	Seclookup (Malicious), Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	104.21.46.35
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

"Seedify Regstration", "Claim SatoshiDEX (SATX)", and "Join MetaMask 3.0" are but a few of our latest articles on crypto drainers.

Cryptocurrency-targeting schemes function primarily by using draining mechanisms to steal funds from wallets, phishing for wallet log-in credentials, and tricking users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

Various lures are used to gain and abuse victims' trust, such as claims concerning rewards/airdrops/giveaways, new coin/token promotions, account/wallet issues, security upgrades, suspicious activity detections, and so on.

Due to how prevalent online scams are and how well-disguised they can be – we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are commonly promoted via intrusive pop-up ads (malvertising). Some of the adverts are fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "linking" digital wallets by promising various benefits. These pop-ups have even been encountered on genuine websites that had been compromised.

Another prevalent promotional technique is social media spam. These posts and direct/private messages can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real projects, companies, celebrities, influencers, etc.).

However, other endorsement methods are not unlikely. Aside from the aforementioned techniques, online schemes are promoted through sites that use rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, browser notifications, social media/ forum posts, etc.), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We strongly advise exercising caution when browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. Therefore, always pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Be wary of ads and websites making promises that sound too good to be true.

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

Do not permit questionable pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or deny their notification requests (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious mail.

Download only 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 "Privasea Registration" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Privasea AI Network website (privasea.ai):

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 "Privasea Registration" 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 deceive users into performing certain actions. To elaborate on this, victims can be tricked into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, making monetary transactions, providing valuable information, buying products, downloading/installing software, subscribing to services, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and distributing malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Privasea Registration" scam, can I get my money back?

No, these transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Privasea Registration" website cannot recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are most commonly endorsed via intrusive advertisements (malvertising), websites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, SMSes, browser notifications, social media/ forum posts, etc.), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited sites for deceptive/malicious content. Therefore, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be denied.

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