How to identify fake "Solana L2 Presale" websites

What is the fake "Solana L2 Presale" website?

While browsing untrustworthy websites, our researchers discovered a fake "Solana L2 Presale". This is a phishing scam that lures users into disclosing their cryptocurrency wallet log-in credentials through a fraudulent presale event. It must be emphasized that this "Solana L2 Presale" is not associated with the actual Solana blockchain platform.

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 "Solana L2 Presale" website overview

We discovered this phishing scam promoted on dashboard-solaxy.pages[.]dev – however, it could also be hosted on other domains. It must be reiterated that this scam is in no way associated with the real Solana (solana.com) or any other existing platforms and entities.

When a user attempts to take part in this bogus presale event, they are asked to connect their digital wallet by providing its log-in credentials. The information entered into this site is recorded and sent to scammers. Therefore, they can gain access to the cryptowallets exposed to this scam and steal the funds stored therein.

What is more, due to the practically untraceable nature of these transactions – they cannot be reversed. Hence, victims of this fake "Solana L2 Presale" or similar scams cannot recover the stolen digital assets.

Cryptocurrency-targeting scam examples

Cryptocurrency-centered scams operate in one of three primary ways – phishing for wallet log-in credentials, using draining mechanisms to siphon funds from compromised wallets, or tricking users into manually transferring assets to scammer-owned wallets.

"$TWOCS Token Presale", "$SHADOW Presale", fake "Tornado Cash" website, fake "Elixir (ELX)" website, "$AVAIL Vote Rewards", and fake "AMLBot" website, are just some of our newest articles on these scams.

How did I open a scam website?

Online scams are primarily promoted through websites that utilize rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs (typosquatting), spam (e.g., social media/ forum posts, PMs/DMs, emails, browser notifications, robocalls/ cold calls, SMSes, etc.), intrusive advertisements (malvertising), and adware.

It is noteworthy that crypto-specific scams are often endorsed via social media spam. These posts and private/direct messages can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, organizations, etc.).

These scams are also promoted via intrusive pop-up adverts. Said pop-ups may function as cryptocurrency drainers themselves; they entice users into "linking" their wallets (i.e., signing malicious contracts) by promising unbelievable benefits. It is pertinent to mention that these ads have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been compromised.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, advertisements, and communications warning of severe issues or making promises that sound too good to be true. Do not use sites offering pirated software/media or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages usually employ rogue advertising networks.

Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Do not permit suspicious pages to display browser notifications; instead, ignore or block their notification requests. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links present in questionable/irrelevant mail.

Download from official/verified channels and be attentive when installing (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.

Appearance of the fake "Solana L2 Presale" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Solana website (solana.com):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Solana L2 Presale" 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?

An online scam is a type of deceptive Internet content that aims to trick users into performing specific actions. To elaborate, these scams can deceive victims into connecting their cryptowallets to drainers, disclosing vulnerable data, sending money to scammers, downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, subscribing to services, calling fake support lines, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by obtaining funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private information, and proliferating malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Solana L2 Presale" scam, can I get my money back?

No, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of this fake "Solana L2 Presale" cannot recover the stolen funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Prevalent online scam promotion methods include: spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, browser extensions, etc.), websites that use rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads (malvertising), mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited websites for deceptive and malicious content. It can also restrict further access to pages hosting such content.