How to recognize fake SwapBased websites

What is the fake SwapBased website?

While browsing suspicious sites, our researchers discovered a fake SwapBased webpage. The scam website's appearance and domain is incredibly close to that of the official site. This fraudulent page promotes a crypto drainer – thus victims of this scam have the cryptocurrency drained from their 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 SwapBased website overview

The fake site that we investigated is an almost identical visual copy of SwapBased – a platform of an automated liquidity protocol that implements non-upgradeable smart contracts on the Base blockchain. The imitator's domain – swapbase[.]finance – was created using typosquatting, as it is just one letter off from the official website's address – swapbased.finance. Keep in mind that this scam could be hosted on other domains as well.

It must be emphasized that this fraudulent page is in no way associated with the actual SwapBased site or any other existing platforms and entities.

The scam webpage operates as a cryptocurrency drainer. Basically, users who "connect" their cryptowallets to this page – inadvertently sign a malicious contract that facilitates the drainer. Wallets exposed in this manner have their funds siphoned through automated outgoing transactions.

Some drainers can approximate the value of digital assets and prioritize their theft. These transactions may look innocuous – hence, they can remain unnoticed for a significant amount of time.

It is pertinent to mention that cryptocurrency transactions cannot be reversed due to their nearly untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake SwapBased website cannot recover the stolen assets.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

We have investigated numerous online scams; "Beraborrow ($BERA) Rewards", "$TWOCS Token Presale", and "$SHADOW Presale" are merely a few of our latest articles on drainers.

Aside from utilizing draining mechanisms, crypto-specific scams commonly function by targeting wallet log-in credentials or tricking users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets.

The Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. It often appears poorly made and riddled with mistakes, but some scams (especially those seeking to steal cryptocurrency) can be competently put together and even perfectly copy the design of legitimate websites/platforms. Therefore, we highly recommend vigilance when browsing and investing.

How did I open a scam website?

It is evident that the fake SwapBased site that we examined (swapbase[.]finance) relied on typosquatting. However, it is likely that this scam webpage is promoted using other methods and the scammers are not solely banking on users misspelling the real SwapBased website's domain (swapbased.finance).

Cryptocurrency drainers are often promoted through intrusive pop-up advertisements. Some of these pop-ups are fully functional drainers themselves; they entice users into "linking" their wallets by promising unbelievable benefits. It is noteworthy that said adverts have been encountered on genuine sites that had been compromised.

Social media spam is also prevalent in crypto-specific scam promotion. Posts and direct/private messages endorsing this content can be made using hacked accounts (i.e., ones originally belonging to real projects, companies, organizations, entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, etc.).

Other promotional techniques are not unlikely. Aside from the aforementioned, online scams are endorsed via websites that use rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, forum posts, browser notifications, robocalls /cold calls, SMSes, etc.), malvertising, and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

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

Do not permit suspect pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny their requests (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Be vigilant with incoming emails and other messages; do not open attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail.

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

Screenshot of the official SwapBased website (swapbased.finance):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is SwapBased 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 Internet content that aims to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be deceived into connecting digital wallets to crypto drainers, sending money to scammers, disclosing private information, buying products, subscribing to services, downloading/installing programs, calling fake helplines, etc.

What is the purpose of online scams?

Online scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals primarily profit by acquiring funds through deception, endorsing content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), abusing/selling sensitive data, and distributing malware.

I have lost digital assets to the fake "SwapBased" website, can I get my money back?

Cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible due to their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of scams like this fake SwapBased site cannot recover the stolen funds.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are predominantly promoted through websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, intrusive advertisements (malvertising), spam (e.g., social media posts, DMs/PMs, emails, browser notifications, etc.), typosquatting (mistyped URLs), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan every single website that you visit for deceptive/malicious content. Additionally, it can restrict all further access to pages that host such content.