How to spot scams like the fake "Strawberry AI Vote Rewards" platform

What is the fake "Strawberry AI Vote Rewards" platform?

Our analysis of the site (allocate-strawberry[.]com) revealed it to be a fraudulent page posing as the legitimate Strawberry (usestrawberry.ai) platform. We also discovered that the site is designed to steal cryptocurrency from victims. It is strongly advisable to avoid visiting such sites and interacting with them.

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.

"Strawberry AI Vote Rewards" scam website in detail

Strawberry AI (usestrawberry.ai) is a platform that uses artificial intelligence to enhance the Web3 and decentralized finance (DeFi) world. It integrates smart AI agents into the DeFi ecosystem, utilizing advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) to help users make investment choices. The platform offers insights on what and when to buy and the reasons behind those decisions.

The fraudulent website (allocate-strawberry[.]com) invites $BERRY holders and community members to vote on a rewards date, potentially promising something in return (such as tokens). However, the site has no affiliation with the official Strawberry AI platform and is a scam designed to deceive users into connecting their cryptocurrency wallets.

When users connect their wallets, scammers can steal their cryptocurrency using a drainer. This tool automatically moves funds from the victim’s wallet to the scammer’s. Since cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible, once the funds are transferred, they cannot be retrieved, making such scams especially dangerous.

Therefore, it is essential to exercise caution when connecting crypto wallets, sharing personal information, or engaging with unofficial websites.

Similar scams in general

In conclusion, scams like the one involving the fraudulent Strawberry AI website (allocate-strawberry[.]com) highlight the significant risks of engaging with unverified platforms. To protect themselves, users should always verify the legitimacy of a platform before connecting their wallets or sharing personal information and avoid interacting with unofficial or suspicious websites.

More examples of fake crypto-related platforms using cryptocurrency drainers: "SOON NFT Mint", "$PEPU Staking", and "TGE Trading Carnival".

How did I open a scam website?

Scammers create fake profiles on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook to lure users into visiting scam websites that employ crypto drainers. These scams are also propagated through phishing emails and compromised WordPress sites. In other cases, scammers promote scams through notifications delivered by untrustworthy websites.

Users may also encounter scam pages when visiting sites linked to dubious ad networks, such as torrent platforms or illegal streaming sites, or by interacting with misleading ads, pop-ups, links, buttons, or other elements on unreliable web pages.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Be especially careful with unsolicited emails from unknown senders or containing unexpected attachments or links. The same applies to links in messages on social media. Be cautious when browsing—avoid clicking on suspicious ads, pop-ups, or links, and never accept notification requests from unfamiliar websites.

Download apps and software from trusted sources, like verified app stores or official developer websites. Ensure your system and all software are up to date by regularly installing the available updates. Additionally, perform regular scans with a reputable antivirus program to keep your device protected. If your computer is already infected with unwanted apps, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

The appearance of "Strawberry AI Vote Rewards" scam site (GIF):

The official Strawberry AI website (usestrawberry.ai):

Instant automatic malware removal:

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Quick menu:

• What is Fake Strawberry AI Vote Rewards platform?
• 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 a scam website?

These are misleading websites that often mimic legitimate platforms to trick users into taking certain actions that benefit the scammers.

What is the purpose of a crypto scam?

Crypto-related scams are usually crafted to steal digital assets or collect sensitive information such as login credentials, recovery phrases, or private keys. In many cases, the primary goal of these scams is to gain access to and steal the victim's cryptocurrency.

Why do I encounter scam websites?

Fraudsters promote scam websites through various tactics, including fake social media accounts, deceptive emails, compromised websites, misleading ads, rogue advertising networks (often used by torrent sites or illegal streaming pages, and notifications displayed by shady pages.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from scams?

Combo Cleaner monitors the websites users visit and identifies potentially harmful or scam-related pages. It provides warnings about detected threats and blocks access to unsafe sites.