How to avoid scams like "Coinbase - You Have 1 New Transaction"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of scam is "Coinbase - You Have 1 New Transaction"?
Our team has examined the website (base-fastbitco[.]top) and found that it is a scam site imitating the real Coinbase page (coinbase.com). The purpose of this scam site is to steal money and potentially personal information from unsuspecting individuals. This and similar web pages should be avoided.
"Coinbase - You Have 1 New Transaction" scam in detail
This scam website is promoted using fraudulent emails containing links or attachments. It claims that the user has a pending transaction of 0.9473 Bitcoin (the sum might vary) allegedly sent via Binance to their Coinbase account. It states that the transaction was not delivered because the user failed to complete the payout process.
The page warns that the transaction must be finalized within 24 hours, or the funds will be returned to the sender. It also displays a fake countdown timer and a "GET BITCOIN" button. After clicking this button, the site requests to enter information such as first and last name, email address, and password to create an account to proceed with the "payout".
Then, the site instructs the user to use the Coinbase functionality to search for their transaction and claims that after checking and searching for the transaction, the user can contact Coinbase technical support for payout. Upon launching a fake transaction search, the site presents a fake chat.
Then, the page instructs the user to enter payment details (a Bitcoin wallet address or credit card number) to "order a payment". Lastly, it claims that the user has to pay a service fee ($62) to receive the payout. Overall, scammers behind this fake website aim to trick users into transferring money and providing personal information.
It is important to note that victims who fall for such scams never receive any "payout" or other promised benefits. Moreover, they risk having their identities stolen and becoming targets of other scams. Thus, it is important to verify the legitimacy of websites before providing any details, making payments, or taking other actions.
| Name | Coinbase - You Have 1 New Transaction fake notification |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | The user has a pending transaction of 0.9473 Bitcoin |
| Disguise | Legitimate notification from Coinbase |
| Related Domains | base-fastbitl[.]cc, base-fastbitco[.]top, cb-notifiers[.]top |
| Detection Names (base-fastbitco[.]top) | alphaMountain.ai (Phishing), Combo Cleaner (Phishing), ESET (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Sophos (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Detection Names (cb-notifiers[.]top) | alphaMountain.ai (Phishing), Combo Cleaner (Phishing), ESET (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Sophos (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | Unofficial domain, lack of official verification, unrealistic claims, too good-to-be-true promises. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails, fake websites. |
| Possible 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
Scam websites like the one we overviewed are designed to deceive users into providing personal information, payment details, or transferring money. They create a sense of urgency with fake claims, such as pending transactions or payouts, to manipulate victims into acting quickly without ensuring these claims are legitimate.
Some examples of similar scams are "US Trade Commission Compensation Scam", "Blockcast Boost Reward Scam", and "Nadex - Bitcoin Balance Scam".
How did I open a scam website?
The scam website we studied is promoted using deceptive emails containing links or attachments. Scam pages can also be encountered through misleading advertisements, pop-ups, and links on unreliable web pages. Clicking shady notifications from other dubious sites can also expose users to scams.
Additionally, scammers use rogue advertising networks (often associated with torrent sites and illegal movie streaming pages), fake social media profiles, and adware to promote their scams. In most cases, users are tricked into opening scam sites (they do not visit them on purpose).
How to avoid visiting scam pages?
Be cautious with links (and files) in unsolicited emails from unknown senders. Do not open them if you suspect that an email is fraudulent. Download apps or files exclusively from official app stores or trusted websites. Avoid using other sources and interacting with pop-ups, ads, buttons, etc., on dubious sites.
Never consent to receive notifications from shady websites. Ensure your software and operating system are always up to date, and install a trusted security program. Also, use reputable search engines and regularly scan your computer for threats. 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 "Coinbase - You Have 1 New Transaction" scam website (GIF):
The official Coinbase website (coinbase.com):
Fraudulent email promoting this scam:
Text in this email:
Contact Request from IPR-Healthcare
Name
Subject
Message
You Have A Message 922. Go >> Https://**********/Ticket--9515-12-16?ny5vu
********
mvdleu
6g0h5e
Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved.
PDF file attached to another scam email promoting this fraudulent page:
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Quick menu:
- What is Coinbase - You Have 1 New Transaction fake notification?
- 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?
Scammers often send identical deceptive emails to a large number of recipients. These messages are not personalized. Your email address was likely obtained through a data breach or in a similar way.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by a scam email, what should I do?
Report the incident to the relevant authorities immediately to prevent identity theft or other complications. If you have shared your login credentials, update the compromised passwords.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to this email, is my computer infected?
The email attachment mentioned in our article is not harmful. However, attachments from cybercriminals can be designed to deliver malware. For instance, malicious executables can infect computers after opening them and infected MS Office documents can do so after enabling macros commands.
I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in a scam email or on a deceptive website, can I get my money back?
These transactions are almost impossible to trace, making the recovery of lost assets highly unlikely.
I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, merely opening an email is safe. The risk arises from clicking on links or opening attachments contained in the email, which can lead to system infections.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate most known malware. However, since advanced malware often buries itself deep within the system, running a full system scan is required to detect and remove it.
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