How to identify fake Beraborrow sites offering rewards

What is the fake "Beraborrow ($BERA) Rewards" website?

During a routine investigative session, our research team discovered a fake "Beraborrow ($BERA) Rewards" website. It masquerades as Beraborrow (beraborrow.com) running a poll, the participants of which can receive rewards.

The scam site aims to deceive users into exposing their digital wallets to a cryptocurrency drainer. It must be emphasized that this scam is not associated with the actual Beraborrow 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 "Beraborrow ($BERA) Rewards" website overview

This scam is an almost perfect visual copy of Beraborrow (beraborrow.com) – a decentralized platform offering interest-free loans with the iBGT token as collateral. We found the scam promoted on beraborrow[.]claims (an address that closely resembles the original website) – however, it could be hosted on other domains as well.

The fraudulent page offers supposed rewards to users who participate in the poll. It must be stressed that regardless of the graphic similarity, this scam is in no way associated with Beraborrow or any other existing platforms and entities.

When the "Vote Now" button is pressed, the user is prompted to connect their cryptowallet. "Linking" a wallet means signing a malicious contract that facilitates the cryptocurrency drainer. Essentially, victims' funds are transferred to scammer-owned wallets through automated transactions. Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft.

It is pertinent to mention that this activity may appear vague – thus, it can remain unnoticed for a long time. What is more, cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Beraborrow ($BERA) Rewards" page cannot recover the stolen assets.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

We have investigated thousands of online scams; "$TWOCS Token Presale", "$SHADOW Presale", "Tornado Cash", and "$AVAIL Vote Rewards" are just some of our newest articles on drainers.

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

The Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. While online scams are often poorly made and full of mistakes, they can be competently put together and even convincingly disguised as content associated with legitimate entities (e.g., companies, projects, organizations, institutions, service providers, etc.). Therefore, we recommend exercising caution when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

Cryptocurrency drainers are commonly promoted via intrusive pop-up advertisements (malvertising). These pop-ups may be fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "connecting" cryptowallets by promising unbelievable benefits. It is worth mentioning that said ads have been encountered on legitimate sites that had been compromised.

Social media spam is also prevalent in crypto-centered scam promotion. These posts and direct/private messages can be made using accounts stolen from real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, etc.

Other endorsement methods are not unlikely. Aside from the aforementioned, online scams are pushed via different types of spam (e.g., emails, forum posts, SMSes, robocalls/ cold calls, browser notifications, etc.), websites that employ rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is key to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, advertisements, and communications making promises that sound too good to be true. Take note of URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use sites offering pirated programs/media or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages are typically monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Do not enable suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or block their requests. Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in suspect/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/verified sources and approach 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 (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 "Beraborrow ($BERA) Rewards" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Beraborrow website (beraborrow.com):

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:

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.

Quick menu:

• What is "Beraborrow ($BERA) Rewards" 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 Web content that aims to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be lured into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing vulnerable information, purchasing products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing programs, and so forth.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals predominantly profit by acquiring funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), selling/abusing private data, and spreading malware.

I have lost digital assets to the "Beraborrow ($BERA) Rewards" scam, can I get my money back?

No, these transactions cannot be reversed because of their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake "Beraborrow ($BERA) Rewards" website cannot get their money back.

Why do I encounter online scams?

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

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited sites and detect deceptive/malicious content. It can also restrict all further access to webpages hosting said content.