How to recognize fraudulent schemes like "US Trade Commission Compensation"

What kind of scam is "US Trade Commission Compensation"?

We have analyzed this scam and concluded that it is designed to extract money (and some information) from unsuspecting individuals. Fraudsters behind this scam use deceptive emails to promote their scheme. Users should be able to recognize such scams to prevent financial loss and other problems.

"US Trade Commission Compensation" scam overview

The scam email promoting this scheme claims that the recipient has only three days left to enroll in a verification process and that their BTC (Bitcoin) withdrawal is awaiting approval, with only three hours left to complete it. The message also mentions a successful bonus transfer and contains an attachment (a PDF file).

The attached PDF file contains a fake site disguised as the "OFFICIAL PAGE OF THE PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION FUND." It encourages users to click the button (link) labeled "START THE VERIFICATION PROCESS". Clicking this link opens a deceptive web page with a design similar to the attached document.

This site also instructs users to "START THE VERIFICATION PROCESS." Upon doing so, the page requests that they provide a full name, email address, and phone number and choose a source. It also provides a "RUN THE SCAN" option (supposedly to check for leaks). It then runs a fake verification process.

Once the "verification process" is completed, the page provides a bogus inspection report with data breach scan results. The report states that a majority of the user's data has been involved in multiple data leaks, with the highest percentage of information being transferred to third parties between October and December 2023 (the date might vary).

The report suggests that photo and video materials were the main content of the data transfer. It also asserts that the greatest damage resulted from the transfer of contact information to advertising companies and networks. It also includes a fake list of compromised data and the compensation the user is offered.

At the bottom of the bogus report, a "RECEIVE COMPENSATION PAYMENT" button is provided. Clicking it leads to a "PAYMENT ORDER FORM" where the user is instructed to enter the required data (full name, email address, and BTC wallet address) carefully to receive a "compensation" (a specified amount of Bitcoins).

Completing this step leads to a request to make a payment of $64 in BTC to receive the "compensation". Overall, the ultimate goal is to extract money from victims users by claiming that it is required to pay for compensation transfer. It is important to be careful with suspicious emails and websites (especially offering large sums of money or other benefits) to avoid monetary loss, identity theft, and other issues.

Threat Summary:

Name	US Trade Commission Compensation fraudulent scheme
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Individuals can receive a compensation
Disguise	Notice from the Personal Data Protection Fund
Related Domains	cbinsust[.]top, compbitfds[.]top
Detection Names (cbinsust[.]top)	N/A (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially 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.

Conclusion

This scam scheme involves various elements to trick users into providing personal information and making a payment for nonexistent compensation. The goal is to extract money by convincing victims that they need to pay for compensation after a supposed data breach. It is crucial to be cautious with suspicious emails, attachments, and websites to avoid the associated risks.

Some examples of other online scams are "Blockcast Boost Reward Scam", "Your Office Account Storage Is Nearly Full Email Scam", and "I Have Penetrated Your Device's Operating System Email Scam".

How did I open a scam website?

The scam website we overviewed in our article is promoted using a deceptive email containing an attachment. Other methods scammers use to promote scam websites are fake or stolen social media accounts, misleading advertisements, pop-ups, and advertising-supported (or other unwanted) applications.

Visiting torrent sites, illegal movie streaming pages, adult sites, and similar platforms often associated with rogue advertising networks can also lead users to scam websites. In other cases, scam sites are pushed via deceptive notifications from shady pages. Generally, users often land on scam web pages unintentionally (they are lured into them).

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Do not grant notification permissions to suspicious websites. Stick to well-known search engines. Download apps or files only from trusted websites or official app stores. Avoid clicking links in suspicious emails from unknown addresses. Do not click pop-ups, ads, or links on questionable sites.

Perform regular scans on your computer to check for unwanted software and security threats. Keep your software and operating system up to date, and use a reliable security program to stay protected. 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 fake website promoted via the attached file (GIF):

The email promoting this scam:

Text in this email:

Subject: Your funds have not been withdrawn yet. The funds are stored in the system. You can get them right now. To do this, simply follow a few steps to the address in the email and enter the details for the payment.

Enrollment in the verification process has 3 days left . BTC withdrawal is awaiting approval You have 3 hours visit the link next . The bonus transfer was completed successfully. You can take it to your balance. Your acceptance is expected.

The attached PDF file:

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▼ 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 US Trade Commission Compensation fraudulent scheme?
• 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)

Why did I receive this email?

Fraudsters often send the same deceptive email to all recipients. Their emails are not personal (targeted). You likely received this email because your email address is in the scammers' database.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by a scam email, what should I do?

Contact the relevant authorities as soon as possible to prevent potential identity theft or other issues. If you have disclosed your login credentials, change the compromised passwords.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to this email, is my computer infected?

The file attached to the email described in our article is not malicious. However, attachments received from fraudsters can contain malware. Whether a computer is infected depends on the file attached and the actions taken.

I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in a scam email or on a deceptive website, can I get my money back?

Such transactions are nearly impossible to trace, making it unlikely that you will be able to recover the funds.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, simply opening an email is harmless. It is clicking on links or opening attachments within the email that can result in system infections

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known malware infections. However, advanced malware often hides deep within the system, so it is essential to perform a full system scan.

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