How to recognize fake DeepSeek crypto giveaways
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is the "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" scam?
While investigating deceptive sites, our research team found the "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" scam. This fake giveaway promises twice the return on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana cryptocurrency or DeepSeek tokens contributed. Instead of receiving any amount, victims lose all that they transfer to the digital wallets listed in this scam. It must be emphasized that this bogus giveaway is not associated with the actual DeepSeek company.
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 "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" overview
This scam is adorned with the logos and name of DeepSeek – a Chinese AI (Artificial Intelligence) company that develops LLMs (Large Language Models). However, the scam is in no way linked to the real Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd. or any other legitimate entities.
This fake giveaway will supposedly double the amount that participants contribute. The nonexistent giveaway pool is worth 100 million USD; it comprises 1,000 BTC (Bitcoin), 10,000 ETH (Ethereum), 500,000 SOL (Solana), and 1,000,000 DeepSeek.
The minimum to maximum amounts that users can send range from 0.1 to 25 BTC, 1 to 200 ETH, 10 to 10,000 SOL, and 50 to 100,000 DeepSeek. Double the amount contributed will be sent back immediately.
As mentioned in the introduction, this giveaway is fake. Hence, not only will victims receive nothing in return – but they will also lose the amount that they have transferred.
It is pertinent to mention that cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because of their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" cannot recover their digital assets.
| Name | "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" scam website |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Twice the Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, or DeepSeek contributed will be sent back to contributors. |
| Disguise | DeepSeek |
| Cyber Criminal Cryptowallet Addresses | 1NfQVrfaawCTadBLwhNPHjUPgB7PGb2v2V, 0xcBD41Fb7537821CbBeaf1EA78246208f4A5D5e50, 6vhqcpzcALbNbjNvkjYLBhLsjSFcuSvoEPQ9suZhC3D7. |
| Related Domains | sale-deepseek[.]com |
| Detection Names | CyRadar (Phishing), Fortinet (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Sophos (Malware), alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address | 104.21.29.32 |
| 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-centered scam examples
"$VIRTUAL Airdrop", "$XOS Airdrop", "DebugDappNode Wallet Connection", "X Crypto Giveaway", "You Have 1 Uncollected Transaction", and "$OBT Airdrop" are merely some of our latest articles on cryptocurrency-targeting scams.
These operate in one of three primary ways – by deceiving users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets, utilizing draining mechanisms to siphon funds from compromised wallets, and phishing for wallet log-in credentials.
Various lures are used by online scams to gain users' trust, such as claims concerning giveaways/airdrops, new coin/token promotions, account/wallet issues, suspicious activity detections, security upgrades, etc.
Due to how prevalent scams are online 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 primarily endorsed via intrusive ads (malvertising), sites utilizing rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media/ forum posts, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.
Crypto-specific scams are often promoted through social media spam. Promotional posts and private/direct messages can be made using hacked accounts (e.g., originally belonging to real projects, companies, organizations, celebrities, influencers, etc.).
Another common endorsement technique is malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up adverts. Some of these advertisements can execute cryptocurrency-draining scripts themselves (drainers); they entice users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising incredible benefits. It is noteworthy that these pop-ups have been encountered on legitimate websites that had been compromised.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, ads, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Approach incoming emails and other messages with vigilance; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious mail.
Do not use sites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages usually utilize rogue advertising networks. Do not permit dubious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny their requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).
Download from official/trustworthy sources and treat installations with care (e.g., read terms, explore options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, 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.
Text presented in "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" scam:
DeepSeek
Biggest CRYPTO giveaway of $100,000,000
During this unique event, you have the opportunity to take a share of 1,000 BTC & 10,000 ETH & 500,000 SOL & 1,000,000 DeepSeek. Have a look at the rules and don't miss out on this. You can only participate once!
Appearance of the "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" scam (GIF):
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Quick menu:
- What is "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" scam 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 an online scam?
Online scams are a type of deceptive content that aims to tick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be lured into making monetary transactions, disclosing vulnerable information, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, and so on.
What is the purpose of online scams?
The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for profit. Scammers predominantly generate revenue by obtaining funds from deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), abusing/selling private data, and proliferating malware.
I have lost digital assets to the "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" scam, can I get my money back?
Cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like "DeepSeek Crypto Giveaway" cannot get their money back.
Why do I encounter online scams?
Online scams are primarily promoted via webpages using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), intrusive ads, mistyped URLs, and adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?
Combo Cleaner is designed to detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious content on visited websites. It can also deny further access to sites hosting such content.
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