Avoid getting scammed by fake "Claim Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" sites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is the fake "Claim Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" website?
Our research team discovered this "Claim Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" scam on migration-sbr[.]com (could be hosted elsewhere). The fake page functions as a cryptocurrency drainer – by siphoning digital assets from exposed cryptowallets.
It must be stressed that this scam is not associated with the actual Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (strategicbitcoinreserve.cc) or any other existing projects, platforms, and entities.
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 $1 billion in crypto to scams – that's about one out of every four dollars reported lost, more than any other payment method.
Fake "Claim Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" website overview
This scam is an almost identical visual copy of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve website (strategicbitcoinreserve.cc). At the time of writing, this scheme was promoted on migration-sbr[.]com; however, it could be hosted on other domains as well. It must be reiterated that this site is not associated with the actual Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
When a digital wallet is connected to this fake strategic reserve for Bitcoin cryptocurrency, a malicious contract is signed. Thereby, the drainer is activated, and it begins transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets through automated transactions. This activity may appear innocuous, and as such, it can remain unnoticed for a long time.
Some drainers can roughly estimate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft. These transactions are practically untraceable – hence, they cannot be reversed, and victims cannot recover the stolen funds.
| Name | "Claim Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" crypto drainer |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer |
| Disguise | Strategic Bitcoin Reserve |
| Related Domains | migration-sbr[.]com |
| Detection Names (migration-sbr[.]com) | N/A (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address (migration-sbr[.]com) | 104.21.2.230 |
| Distribution methods | Compromised websites, social media spam, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications. |
| Damage | Monetary loss |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples
We have written about thousands of scams; "Claim 3D NFT", "MAV Token Eligibility Check", "Uniswap ($UNI) Airdrop", and "$MSC Token Airdrop" are merely some of our latest articles on drainers.
In addition to crypto drainers, other widespread cryptocurrency-specific schemes are those that target wallet log-in credentials and ones that trick users into manually transferring funds to criminal-owned wallets.
Due to how widespread scams are on the Web and how well-crafted they can be – we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing.
How did I open a scam website?
Online scams are predominantly endorsed through websites that use rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, browser notifications, social media/ forum posts, etc.), intrusive ads (malvertising), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.
Crypto drainers are often endorsed via intrusive pop-up adverts. Some of them can execute draining scripts themselves; these pop-ups entice users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising various boons. These advertisements may be encountered on genuine sites that have been compromised.
Another common promotional method is social media spam. These posts and private/direct messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, organizations, companies, celebrities, influencers, etc.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
Caution is key to online safety. Therefore, always be wary of online content (e.g., sites, ads, messages, etc.) making promises that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully.
Do not use websites offering pirated programs/media and other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized via rogue advertising networks.
Do not enable suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications; ignore or deny such requests from them (i.e., select "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Approach incoming emails and other messages with vigilance; do not open attachments or links found in suspect/irrelevant mail.
Download only from official/verified channels and treat installations with care (e.g., read terms, explore options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful software 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 "Claim Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" website (GIF):
Screenshot of the official Strategic Bitcoin Reserve website (strategicbitcoinreserve.cc):
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:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Claim Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" 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 content hosted on the Web that aims to trick users into performing certain actions. For example, victims can be lured into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, making monetary transactions, providing sensitive data, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, subscribing to services, etc.
What is the purpose of online scams?
Online scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. They may profit by acquiring funds through deception, endorsing content, abusing/selling vulnerable information, and proliferating malware.
I have lost digital assets to the "Claim Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" scam, can I get my money back?
No, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Claim Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" site cannot recover the stolen assets.
Why do I encounter online scams?
Online scams are mainly endorsed via malvertising (intrusive ads), websites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., social media posts, PMs/DMs, emails, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. Therefore, should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be blocked.
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