How to identify fake $SUI airdrop websites

What is the fake "$SUI Airdrop"?

After inspecting this "$SUI Airdrop", we determined that it is fake. It masquerades as the Sui platform (sui.io) running an airdrop for its native token (SUI). The scam (which bears no association to the real Sui) operates as a cryptocurrency drainer. In other words, it steals funds from exposed digital 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.

Fake "$SUI Airdrop" overview

We discovered this fake SUI airdrop on claims-sui[.]run – however, it could be hosted on other domains as well. It must be emphasized that this fraudulent webpage is in no way associated with Sui – a decentralized, permissionless smart contract platform.

When a user attempts to check their eligibility for the airdrop, they are prompted to connect their digital wallet. By doing so, they unintentionally sign a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, their funds are transferred to scammer-owned wallets in automated transactions.

Drainers may be capable of approximating the value of digital assets and targeting them first. This activity may appear vague and, as such, can remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time.

It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "$SUI Airdrop" cannot get their money back.

Threat Summary:

Name	"$SUI Airdrop" crypto drainer
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud, Cryptocurrency Drainer
Disguise	Airdrop on Sui
Related Domains	claims-sui[.]run
Detection Names (claims-sui[.]run)	Trustwave (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (claims-sui[.]run)	172.67.142.122
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

"$DEEP Token Presale", "$XOS Airdrop", and "$VIRTUAL Airdrop" are just a couple of our latest articles on crypto drainers.

Scams that target cryptocurrency tend to do so in one of three ways – by utilizing draining mechanisms to siphon funds from wallets, target wallet log-in credentials, or trick users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

The Internet is full of scams. They are often poorly made and riddled with various mistakes, but online scams can be competently put together and even convincingly disguised as content associated with legitimate entities (e.g., corporations, companies, organizations, etc.).

How did I open a scam website?

"$SUI Airdrop" has been observed being promoted through spam posts on X (more commonly referred to by its former name – Twitter). Social media spam is often used in cryptocurrency-centered scam promotion.

Spam posts and private/direct messages can be made using accounts stolen from real projects, companies, organizations, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, etc. If the endorsed scam aligns with the content ordinarily posted by an account – this creates an incredible impression of legitimacy.

However, this fake "$SUI Airdrop" could be pushed by relying on other methods. Drainers are commonly promoted via intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some can execute scripts to function as drainers; they entice users into "linking" digital wallets by promising various benefits. It is pertinent to mention that these pop-ups have been encountered on legitimate websites that had been hacked.

Generally, online scams are endorsed via malvertising (intrusive ads), sites that employ rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, SMSes, social media posts, PMs/DMs, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, be wary of ads, sites, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use websites offering pirated content or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks.

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

Download only from official/verified sources and treat installations with vigilance (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, features, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful software 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 "$SUI Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Sui website (sui.io):

Screenshot of a spam post promoting this fake "$SUI Airdrop" on X (Twitter):

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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 "$SUI 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 Web content that aims to deceive users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be enticed into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, providing sensitive information, purchasing products, downloading/installing software, subscribing to services, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private information, and spreading malware.

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "$SUI Airdrop" site cannot recover their funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are mainly endorsed via spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, browser notifications, etc.), webpages using rogue advertising networks, typosquatting (misspelled URLs), malvertising (intrusive adverts), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. Should you happen upon such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be blocked.

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