How to identify scams like "Melania Trump Meme Coin" scam

What is the fake "Melania Trump Meme Coin" page?

After investigating the scam, we determined that it is a bogus website impersonating the official Melania Trump Meme Coin page (melaniameme.com). The scammers behind this site seek to deceive unsuspecting individuals into performing actions that enable them to steal the cryptocurrency they have in their wallets.

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.

"Melania Trump Meme Coin" scam website overview

According to the real website, Melania memes are digital collectibles created to show support for the values associated with the MELANIA symbol and its artwork. These collectibles are meant to be a form of engagement, not an investment or financial asset. The website is not involved in politics and is unrelated to any political campaigns, offices, or government agencies.

The scam website closely resembles the legitimate one in appearance. However, the real and fake sites have different URLs and purposes. The fake one is designed to deceive visitors into believing they can obtain Melania coins through it. However, when victims connect their wallets, they unknowingly activate a cryptocurrency drainer.

This crypto drainer is specifically designed to siphon cryptocurrency from the victim's wallet and send it to the scammer's wallet. Due to the nature of blockchain technology, these transactions are typically irreversible, meaning the stolen funds cannot be recovered. Thus, victims who activate crypto drainers usually lose their cryptocurrency permanently.

In order to avoid monetary loss (and possibly other issues), users should always check if a website is legitimate before connecting their cryptocurrency wallet or taking other action.

Threat Summary:

Name	Fake Melania Trump Meme Coin website
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Disguise	Legitimate Melania Trump Meme Coin website
Related Domain	kworeedo[.]com
Detection Names (kworeedo[.]com)	Trustwave (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Unofficial domain, lack of official verification, unrealistic claims, too good-to-be-true promises.
Distribution methods	Google Ads, Compromised/hijacked websites, stolen or fake social media profiles, rogue online pop-up ads, 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 is just one example of the many similar fraudulent schemes targeting cryptocurrency users. Scammers often create fake websites that closely mimic legitimate ones, tricking victims into believing they are engaging with a real platform. Their goal is to steal cryptocurrency (or personal information) from victims.

Examples of similar scams are "Nodecoin Claim Scam", "Arbitrum ($ARB) Rewards Distribution Scam", and "$SPX6900 Distribution Scam".

How did I open a scam website?

The fake Melania Trump Meme Coin website is promoted using Google Ads. It appears in the list of sponsored search results when users include "Melania meme" or similar entries in their search queries. Such scams are also commonly promoted using stolen or fake X (Twitter) or Facebook accounts or hijacked WordPress websites.

In other cases, users can land on scam websites through links or files in deceptive emails, misleading ads, buttons, pop-ups, notifications from unreliable websites, and ads delivered by adware. Additionally, scam sites can be accessed through pages that use rogue advertising networks. These networks tend to be used by torrent sites, illegal movie streaming pages, and similar sites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Only download apps or files from trusted app stores or official websites, and avoid suspicious alternatives. Do not permit unreliable websites to send you notifications. Avoid engaging with pop-ups, ads, or buttons on dubious websites. Do not open links or attachments in irrelevant or unexpected emails from unknown senders.

Ensure your operating system and software are always up to date, use reputable security tools, and run regular scans. Also, rely on trusted search engines to reduce the risk of encountering harmful content. 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 "Melania Trump Meme Coin" scam page (GIF):

This scam site promoted using Google Ads:

Real website (melaniameme.com):

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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 Fake Melania Trump Meme Coin website?
• 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 a scam website?

It is a fraudulent site designed to deceive users into taking certain actions. It may look like a legitimate site, often mimicking popular platforms.

What is the purpose of an online scam?

Scammers use these websites to lure users into giving away personal information (e.g., credit card details or login credentials), downloading malware, paying for fake services or products, or performing other steps.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Users often land on scam websites by clicking misleading links, notifications, ads, pop-ups, etc., or visiting sites associated with rogue advertising networks, opening links or files in deceptive emails.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner scans every website users visit and can detect malicious ones. It also identifies pop-up scam sites, warns users, and blocks access to these sites.

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