How to identify fake $VIRTUAL airdrop websites

What is the fake "$VIRTUAL Airdrop"?

While investigating deceptive websites, our researchers discovered this fake "$VIRTUAL Airdrop". Instead of distributing the $VIRTUAL tokens, this scam page operates as a cryptocurrency drainer – by stealing funds from victims' cryptowallets. It must be emphasized that this bogus airdrop is not associated with the real Virtuals Protocol (virtuals.io).

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 "$VIRTUAL Airdrop" overview

We discovered this scam on proposais-virtuals[.]xyz, but it could also be hosted on other domains. It impersonates Virtuals Protocal (virtuals.io) – a platform that provides a building the infrastructure for AI (Artificial Intelligence) agents to operate across various environments, including socials, gaming, entertainment, and others.

It must be stressed that this VIRTUAL token airdrop is fake, and it is in no way associated with the real Virtuals Protocol or any other existing platforms, services, and entities.

When a user attempts to check their eligibility for the airdrop and press the "Register Now" button, they are prompted to connect their digital wallet. By "linking" a cryptowallet, they unintentionally sign a malicious contract that facilitates the drainer.

The draining mechanism operates by transferring victims' funds to scammer-owned wallets through automated transactions. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and target them first. This activity may appear vague – hence, it can remain unnoticed for a long time.

It is pertinent to mention that cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "$VIRTUAL Airdrop" cannot recover the stolen assets.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$VIRTUAL Airdrop" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Airdrop on Virtuals Protocol.
Related Domains	proposais-virtuals[.]xyz
Detection Names	CyRadar (Malicious), Seclookup (Malicious), Trustwave (Phishing), alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	104.21.38.187
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

"$XOS Airdrop", "$OBT Airdrop", "Claim Obol", and "DApp Rectification" are merely some of our newest articles on drainers.

Crypto-centered scams primarily operate in one of three ways – using draining mechanisms to siphon funds from wallets, phishing for wallet log-in credentials, and deceiving users into manually transferring assets to wallets in the cyber criminals' possession.

However, the Internet is rife with a wide variety of deceptive and malicious content. While online scams are often poorly constructed and riddled with mistakes, they can be competently made and even convincingly disguised as content associated with genuine entities. Therefore, we highly recommend vigilance when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Cryptocurrency drainers are often promoted via malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some are fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "connecting" wallets by promising incredible benefits. It is worth mentioning that these pop-ups have been encountered on legitimate websites that had been hacked.

Additionally, these scams are prevalent on social media networks, especially on X (more commonly known by its former name – Twitter). These spam posts and direct/private messages (DMs/PMs) can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, entrepreneurs, influencers, etc.

However, other promotional techniques are not unlikely. Aside from those previously mentioned, online scams are endorsed via webpages that use rogue advertising networks, spam (emails, forum posts, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to online safety. Therefore, always be wary of websites, ads, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Take note of URLs and type them carefully. Do not use sites that offer pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Approach incoming emails and other messages cautiously; do not open attachments or links found in dubious mail. Do not enable suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny their requests (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Download only from official/verified channels and be attentive when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/dangerous software (like adware) from infiltrating the system.

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 "$VIRTUAL Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Virtuals Protocol website (virtuals.io):

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 "$VIRTUAL Airdrop" 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 deceptive content hosted on the Internet; they aim to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be deceived into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, transferring money to scammers, disclosing sensitive information, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, calling fake support lines, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Profit is the purpose of online scams. Cyber criminals generate revenue primarily by acquiring funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private information, and distributing malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "$VIRTUAL Airdrop" scam, can I get my money back?

No, these transactions cannot be reversed due to their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "$VIRTUAL Airdrop" website cannot recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are predominantly promoted via spam (e.g., DMs/PMs, social media/ forum posts, emails, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), sites that employ rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads (malvertising), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for rogue, deceptive, and malicious content. Should you happen upon a webpage hosting such – you will be immediately warned, and further access to the site will be denied.

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