How to identify fake "Raydium Airdrop" sites

What is the fake "Raydium Airdrop" website?

Our researchers discovered this fake "Raydium Airdrop" site during a routine inspection of dubious websites. This page mimics the Raydium (raydium.io) platform. The imitator page promotes a cryptocurrency drainer that aims to siphon 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 "Raydium Airdrop" website overview

We discovered this fake airdrop on raydium-usa[.]xyz, but it could also be hosted on other domains. This scam page masquerades as Raydium (raydium.io) – a decentralized exchange built on the Solana blockchain. It must be emphasized that this scam is not associated with the actual Raydium exchange or any other legitimate platforms and entities.

Once a digital wallet is "connected" to the imitator page, it executes scripts to facilitate the crypto drainer. Essentially, victims' funds are transferred to scammer-owned wallets. These transactions are automated and may appear vague – thus, they can remain unnoticed for a long time. Drainers may be capable of getting rough estimates on the value of digital assets and prioritizing their theft.

It must be mentioned that cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible because of their practically untraceable nature. Therefore, victims of fake sites like "Raydium Airdrop" cannot recover their stolen assets.

Cryptocurrency drainer scam examples

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Aside from using draining mechanisms, scams that target cryptocurrency often do so by phishing for wallet log-in credentials or tricking users into manually transferring funds to scammer-owned wallets. Online scams can differ greatly in appearance and modus operandi, yet their end goal is the same – to generate revenue at victims' expense.

How did I open a scam website?

Cryptocurrency drainers are commonly endorsed via malvertising, specifically – intrusive pop-up ads. Some of these advertisements are fully functional drainers themselves; they lure users into "connecting" digital wallets by promising various benefits. Pop-ups of this kind can even be encountered on legitimate sites that have been hacked.

Additionally, crypto-specific scams are prevalent on social media networks. The spam posts and direct/private messages can be made using accounts stolen from real entrepreneurs, celebrities, influencers, projects, companies, etc. If a scam aligns with the content ordinarily posted by the account – this creates an incredible impression of legitimacy.

Aside from the aforementioned, online scams can be promoted through webpages that use rogue advertising networks, different types of spam (e.g., emails, browser notifications, forum posts, SMSes, cold calls/ robocalls, etc.), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is paramount to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, adverts, and messages making promises that sound too good to be true. Do not use sites offering pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpages are usually monetized through rogue advertising networks. Take note of URLs and type them carefully.

Do not permit suspect 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 questionable/irrelevant mail.

Download only from official/trustworthy sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, etc.) to prevent bundled/hazardous 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 "Raydium Airdrop" website (GIF):

Screenshot of the official Raydium website (raydium.io):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Raydium 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 content hosted on the Web that aims to deceive users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be enticed into connecting cryptowallets to drainers, sending money to scammers, providing sensitive information, buying products, downloading/installing programs, subscribing to services, and so on.

What is the purpose of online scams?

The purpose of online scams is to generate revenue for scammers. Profit is predominantly made by acquiring funds through deception, promoting websites/software, abusing/selling private data, and spreading malware.

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

No, these transactions cannot be reversed due to their practically untraceable nature. Hence, victims of scams like this fake "Raydium Airdrop" webpage cannot retrieve their digital assets.

Why do I encounter online scams?

Online scams are most commonly promoted via spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, social media posts, SMSes, calls, browser notifications, etc.), websites that use rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads (malvertising), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan visited sites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious pages. Therefore, should you happen upon such a website – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be blocked.