How to identify scams like "$DEEP Token Presale"

What is the fake "$DEEP Token Presale" website?

While investigating suspect websites, our researchers found this "$DEEP Token Presale" scam. This fake presale event operates as a crypto drainer – by draining funds from exposed cryptocurrency wallets. It must be emphasized that this scam is not associated with the real 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 "$DEEP Token Presale" website overview

We discovered this bogus presale event on presales-deepseek[.]com – however, it could be hosted on other domains. The page is bedecked with DeepSeek logos, yet this scam is in no way associated with the real Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd.

When a digital wallet is connected to the scam – the action signs a malicious contract, which facilitates the drainer. Basically, victims' funds are transferred to wallets in the scammers' possession.

This activity is automated and may appear innocuous, thus it can remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft.

It must be mentioned that due to the nearly untraceable nature of cryptocurrency transactions – they cannot be reversed. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "$DEEP Token Presale" site cannot recover their funds.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$DEEP Token Presale" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Fake Claim	Token presale event
Disguise	DeepSeek
Related Domains	presales-deepseek[.]com
Detection Names	CyRadar (Malicious), Fortinet (Phishing), G-Data (Phishing), alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), ArcSight Threat Intelligence (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.67.153.46
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

"$VIRTUAL Airdrop", "$OBT Airdrop", and "$XOS Airdrop" are merely a few of our newest articles on drainers. Cryptocurrency-centered scams can operate by using draining mechanisms to steal funds from wallets, target wallet log-in credentials, or deceive users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

Online scams are often poorly put together and riddled with errors, but they can be competently made and even convincingly disguised as content associated with genuine entities (e.g., companies, institutions, organizations, etc.).

How did I open a scam website?

Crypto drainers are commonly promoted through intrusive pop-up ads (malvertising). Some of the advertisements can execute draining scri[ts themselves; they lure users into "linking" their wallets by promises of unbelievable boons. It is worth mentioning that these pop-ups have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been compromised.

Cryptocurrency-targeting scams are also endorsed via social media spam. These posts and PMs/DMs can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, etc. Other promotional methods are not likely.

Aside from the previously mentioned techniques, online scams are promoted through websites using rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, forum posts, browser notifications, etc.), mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, we wary of websites, adverts, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Do not use sites that offer pirated programs/media or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually utilize rogue advertising networks.

Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Do not enable suspect pages to display browser notifications; ignore or deny the delivery requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Treat incoming emails and other messages with vigilance; do not open attachments or links found in questionable/irrelevant mail.

Download from official/verified sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful software (like adware) 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.

Appearance of the fake "$DEEP Token Presale" website (GIF):

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 "$DEEP Token Presale" 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?

An online scam is a type of content hosted on the Web. Its goal is to trick victims into performing specific actions, e.g., connecting cryptowallets to drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing vulnerable information, purchasing products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing programs, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. Profit can be made by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing websites/software, abusing/selling private data, and spreading malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "$DEEP Token Presale" scam, can I get my money back?

No, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature.

Why do I encounter online scams?

The most prevalent promotional methods include: websites using rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads (malvertising), spam (e.g., social media posts, PMs/DMs, SMSes, browser notifications, etc.), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect deceptive/malicious pages. Additionally, it can block all further access to such websites.

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