Scam report Scam Alerts

Coinbase Inactive Account Email Scam: Fake Review Holdings Login Warning

By Lapain Epuran10 min read

An email says an old Coinbase account could lose features through inactivity. Perhaps you haven’t checked it recently.

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Reviewing your holdings sounds sensible. Before following the invitation, separate the account question from the message asking you to act.

Illustrative Coinbase-themed inactivity email with a Review holdings button and fictional sender details
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Overview

A quiet account becomes a reason to click

The Coinbase inactive account email scam claims that prolonged inactivity may cause features to be disabled. It presents a holdings-review button as the next step.

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The reported message uses routine platform-notification language rather than an extravagant prize. That makes it particularly believable to someone who remembers opening an account years ago.

It is a phishing promotion impersonating Coinbase, not an authenticated instruction from the exchange. Do not use its button to investigate your account.

The exact login destination is not established

The linked endpoint was no longer active when the campaign was analyzed. Its exact form could not be independently recovered.

It might have sought Coinbase credentials or credentials for the recipient’s email provider. Those are possible phishing routes, not confirmed screens every reader would see.

If you entered information, identify the actual account involved. Do not assume an email asking about cryptocurrency must have collected only an exchange password.

Real inactivity procedures do not authenticate this email

Services can have legitimate account restrictions and unclaimed-property processes. Their existence does not make an unsolicited message about inactivity genuine.

  • Check your account through the official app or a trusted address you open independently.
  • Confirm any restriction inside the real account before changing financial arrangements.
  • Keep hosted exchange access separate from self-custody wallet secrets.
  • Do not send cryptocurrency to prove that an account remains active.

The lead image is a fictional email illustration. Its sender and date are not an original campaign specimen or a verified account notice.

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How the Coinbase Inactive Account Email Scam Works

Step 1: The message sounds like ordinary account housekeeping

The reported subject presents a platform notification about an account being disabled. The body softens that headline by referring to features that may become unavailable.

That difference can draw the reader in. Someone concerned by the subject may keep reading because the requested action appears easy and routine.

The email does not need to demonstrate a real balance. It only needs to remind you that an account might exist and make checking through its link convenient.

Perhaps you previously used Coinbase and stopped. Perhaps you never had an account. Neither situation can be established by a stranger’s assertion in your inbox.

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If you are uncertain, investigate through the genuine service. Do not treat curiosity about an old account as permission to try an unfamiliar login destination.

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An unexpected service notice deserves verification even when the underlying topic is plausible. Credibility of the topic and authenticity of the sender are separate questions.

Step 2: A holdings-review button gives the concern a simple solution

The button is framed as a way to inspect assets, not hand them over. That makes the first action feel observational rather than financially consequential.

But a button’s label tells you only what the sender wants you to believe. The destination can be unrelated to the genuine exchange.

A link can also change through redirects. The presence of a familiar word in a long address does not prove that Coinbase controls the final page.

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Do not test the notice by entering an old password. Even an unsuccessful-looking attempt can disclose the credential to the page receiving it.

Nor should you try several accounts to discover which one the email meant. Each additional submission can expose another password without answering the original question.

Open the app you normally use or navigate to the real exchange separately. A genuine account issue should be handled through an authenticated support process.

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Step 3: The next page can change which credentials are being requested

Phishing messages about one service can lead to pages imitating another. A crypto-themed email may therefore become a request for mailbox access.

The campaign’s unavailable destination prevents a precise claim about its login design. Readers should focus on what they actually saw and typed.

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If the form requested your email password, protect the mailbox. If it requested Coinbase sign-in details, address the exchange account. If both were supplied, handle both.

A displayed email address or familiar provider logo does not prove the page knows your password. Such presentation can be tailored using information already visible in the link.

Similarly, a code request is a new sensitive action, not a harmless continuation. Do not provide a security code to a page you have not authenticated.

Multifactor protection remains valuable, but it does not make every approval safe. Review the purpose and origin of a prompt rather than accepting it because you recognize the service.

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Step 4: Account access can be used beyond the original login

Exchange access may put assets and account settings at risk, depending on the protections in place. Mailbox access can expose correspondence and recovery messages for other services.

These are risks to investigate, not a claim that every recipient lost cryptocurrency. Check genuine account activity before deciding what happened.

If an attacker obtains access, deleting the email does not end their session. Passwords, signed-in devices, recovery details, and authorized access may need review.

A follow-up caller can also exploit the original story, offering to prevent account closure or move assets somewhere safer. That is not a reason to trust new instructions.

Coinbase’s phishing guidance warns against demands for credentials, security codes, remote access, or transfers to an address supplied by supposed support.

Stop the exchange with the impersonator. Real account protection should happen through the service you reach independently, not through someone continuing the same unsolicited approach.

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What If Your Coinbase Account Really Has Been Inactive?

You do not need to deny that possibility to reject this email. You can check the account safely without relying on the sender.

Use your established app or a trusted bookmark. If access is unavailable, follow genuine account-recovery guidance rather than a replacement link supplied in a reply.

Read any actual account notice carefully. A verification request, a temporary restriction, and an unclaimed-property process are not the same event.

Coinbase publishes information about escheatment and unclaimed funds. The applicable process depends on the account and circumstances, not the wording of this impersonation email.

Do not invent a universal inactivity deadline from the scam message. If a real notice applies to you, verify its requirements with the genuine provider.

If you cannot find evidence of an account, do not create one just to answer the email. Receiving the message does not establish that assets await you.

Likewise, a stranger offering to locate a forgotten balance should not receive your credentials. An account search is not a reason to disclose recovery secrets.

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Exchange Passwords and Wallet Recovery Phrases Are Different

A hosted Coinbase account uses the exchange’s account-access and recovery processes. A self-custody wallet can rely on secret recovery information controlled by its owner.

Those systems may appear under related branding, but their recovery requirements differ. Do not enter a wallet phrase into an email-linked page to reactivate an exchange account.

If you exposed an exchange password, use the exchange’s security process. If you exposed a wallet secret, changing an unrelated website password does not protect that wallet.

The same applies to email. A mailbox password protects your correspondence; it is not a substitute for a wallet’s recovery phrase or a bank’s authorization.

When reporting the incident, name the account type rather than writing only β€œmy crypto login.” That helps trusted support identify the correct action.

Do not paste the secret itself into a support message. Explain that it was disclosed, and use the provider’s instructions without revealing it again.

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What to Do If You Clicked Review Holdings

  1. Close the page and refuse additional prompts. Do not confirm a transfer, enter another password, or install a security program to complete the supposed reactivation.

    Save the original message and its destination if safely available. Do not return to the page solely to collect a better screenshot.

  2. Assess what happened after the click. Viewing a page is different from submitting credentials, approving an authentication request, downloading software, or sending assets.

    Write a brief timeline. Include unsuccessful-looking submissions because they can still disclose information.

  3. If Coinbase credentials or codes were exposed, use the real exchange immediately to protect the account. Review its genuine security controls and contact support about unauthorized activity.

    Use the Coinbase security help centre reached separately. Do not let a caller provide a new wallet address supposedly needed to secure your funds.

  4. If mailbox credentials were entered, recover the email account through its actual provider. Change the exposed password, review sessions and recovery contacts, and check forwarding or filtering changes.

    Secure reused passwords on other services too. An exchange-themed message can compromise a mailbox even when the exchange itself remains untouched.

  5. If a wallet recovery phrase or private key was supplied, seek urgent wallet-specific guidance from a clean environment. Treat those secrets as compromised.

    Do not trust a β€œsafe account” created by the person who contacted you. Any protective destination must be independently controlled and verified.

  6. Investigate device exposure if software was installed or a suspicious file ran. Malwarebytes can help detect unwanted software; AdGuard can reduce some harmful advertising and browsing exposure.

    Neither tool locks a Coinbase account or reverses an on-chain payment. Continue the account-specific response even after a scan.

  7. Report the phishing email through Coinbase’s published reporting guidance. Include the original message and relevant transaction records through an appropriate private channel.

    If funds moved, contact the genuine provider and relevant authorities promptly. Avoid anyone promising guaranteed recovery in exchange for an upfront fee.

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Is Your Device Infected? Run a Free Malware Scan

Slow performance, constant pop-ups, or strange behavior? These are classic signs of a malware infection. A quick way to check is to scan your device with Malwarebytes Free, one of the most trusted malware removal tools available. If you only visited a scam page and didn’t download or install anything, this scan is optional.

The free version detects and removes the most common threats, including:

  • Adware β€” the cause of those annoying pop-ups
  • Browser hijackers β€” unwanted redirects and changed homepages
  • Trojans and spyware β€” hidden programs stealing your data
  • Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) β€” software you never asked for

πŸ‘‰ Select your device below β€” Windows, Mac, or Android β€” then follow the simple steps to download Malwarebytes, scan your system, and remove any threats it finds. The scan usually takes 5 to 20 minutes.

Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Windows

Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and trusted anti-malware tools for Windows β€” and it’s completely free for removing infections. It catches threats that many antivirus programs miss, including adware, browser hijackers, and trojans. Follow the steps below to scan your PC and remove what Malwarebytes finds.

  1. Download Malwarebytes

    Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows from the official source. The free version is all you need β€” it will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software at no cost.

    Malwarebytes Free for WindowsScans and removes malware at no cost
    Download MalwarebytesOfficial installer for Windows 11 and 10. Your download starts right away.Want real-time protection? See Malwarebytes Premium
  2. Install Malwarebytes

    When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the MBSetup file. If Windows shows a User Account Control pop-up, click “Yes” to allow the installation.

    Windows File Explorer Downloads folder with the Malwarebytes setup file highlighted
  3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes

    The setup wizard will walk you through a few quick screens:

    • Choose where you’re installing the program β€” “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” β€” then click Next.

      Malwarebytes Setup asking you to choose a protection type, with Personal selected
    • Malwarebytes will now install on your device. This usually takes under a minute.

      Malwarebytes Setup installing the program, with the progress at 92 percent
    • When installation is complete, the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen will open automatically.

      Welcome to Malwarebytes screen with the Get started button highlighted
    • On the final screen, click Open Malwarebytes to launch the program.

      Malwarebytes Setup success screen with the Open Malwarebytes button highlighted
  4. Optional: Check for rootkits with a Custom Scan

    You don’t need to change any settings for a normal scan. The standard Threat Scan in the next step is enough for most problems, so you can go straight to it.

    If you also want to check for rootkits, use a Custom Scan. In current versions of Malwarebytes, rootkit scanning is only available there:

    1. On the Scanner tile, click the three-dot menu and select Advanced Scan.
    2. Choose Custom Scan. In its options, check Scan for rootkits.
    3. Select your system drive (usually C:\) as the location to scan, then start the scan. It takes longer than a Threat Scan.
    4. When it finishes, review and quarantine the results as described in the steps below.

    Rootkit scanning isn’t available on Windows devices with ARM processors.

  5. Start the Scan

    Click the blue Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its virus database and start checking your computer for malware.

    Malwarebytes dashboard with the Scan button on the Scanner tile highlighted
  6. Wait for the Scan to Finish

    The scan checks your entire system for browser hijackers and other malicious programs, so it can take 5 to 20 minutes depending on your computer. Feel free to do something else β€” just check back occasionally to see the progress.

    Malwarebytes Threat Scan in progress, listing the scan stages and the number of items scanned
  7. Quarantine the Detected Threats

    When the scan is done, you’ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found β€” malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all of them at once.

    Malwarebytes Threat Scan results listing detected potentially unwanted programs, with the Quarantine button highlighted

    Malwarebytes will now remove the malicious files and registry entries and move them safely into quarantine.

    Malwarebytes moving the selected detections to quarantine
  8. Restart Your Computer

    Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot. If Malwarebytes asks you to restart, click Yes. Once you’re logged back in, Malwarebytes has finished removing the threats it found.

    Malwarebytes message asking to restart the computer to finish the removal, with the Yes button highlighted

When the scan is done, check whether the problems you noticed have stopped. If they continue, see the options below.

Keep your PC protectedStop the next infection before it starts
If your antivirus let this threat through, it may not be enough on its own. Malwarebytes Premium adds real-time protection that blocks malware, ransomware, and malicious websites before they can infect your computer.See Malwarebytes Premium

If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:

Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Mac

Malwarebytes for Mac is a free on-demand scanner that removes the malware other security software tends to miss β€” adware, browser hijackers, and unwanted programs included. Cleaning an infected Mac with Malwarebytes has always been completely free, and it’s our go-to recommendation. Follow the steps below to scan your Mac and remove what Malwarebytes finds.

  1. Download Malwarebytes for Mac

    Click the button below to download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Mac.

    Malwarebytes Free for MacScans and removes malware at no cost
    Download MalwarebytesOfficial installer for macOS. Your download starts right away.Want real-time protection? See Malwarebytes Premium
  2. Open the Malwarebytes setup file

    When the download finishes, open your Downloads folder and double-click the setup file to begin the installation.

    Double-click on setup file to install Malwarebytes

  3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes

    The Malwarebytes for Mac Installer will guide you through a few quick screens. Click “Continue” and keep following the prompts until the installation completes.

    Click Continue to install Malwarebytes for Mac

    Click again on Continue to install Malwarebytes for Mac

    Click Install to install Malwarebytes on Mac

    When the installation is complete, Malwarebytes opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen. Click “Get started“.

    Malwarebytes needs Full Disk Access to check your whole Mac. When it asks, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access, turn on Malwarebytes (it may be listed as Malwarebytes Protection), and confirm with your password or Touch ID. Then return to Malwarebytes. On macOS Monterey and earlier, this setting is in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy.

  4. Select “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer”

    Malwarebytes will ask what type of computer you’re installing it on. Click either Personal Computer or Work Computer, whichever applies.
    Select Personal Computer or Work Computer mac

  5. Start the Scan

    Click the “Scan” button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its detection database and begin checking your Mac for malware.
    Click on Scan button to start a system scan Mac

  6. Wait for the Scan to Finish

    Malwarebytes will scan your Mac for adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious programs. This can take a few minutes, so feel free to do something else β€” just check back occasionally to see the progress.
    Wait for Malwarebytes for Mac to scan for malware

  7. Quarantine the Detected Threats

    When the scan is done, you’ll see a list of everything Malwarebytes found. Click the “Quarantine” button to remove all the threats at once.
    Review the malicious programs and click on Quarantine to remove malware

  8. Restart Your Mac

    Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files it found. Some threats can only be fully removed after a reboot β€” if Malwarebytes asks you to restart, allow it. Once you’re logged back in, check whether the problems you noticed have stopped. If they come back, save the scan report and ask for help in our forum.
    Malwarebytes For Mac requesting to restart computer

If the problems you noticed continue after the scan, see the options below.

Keep your Mac protectedStop the next infection before it starts
If your Mac got infected, its built-in protection may not be enough on its own. Malwarebytes Premium for Mac adds real-time protection that blocks malware and adware before they can infect your Mac.See Malwarebytes Premium

If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove a malicious program from your computer, please ask for help in our Mac Malware Removal Help & Support forum.

Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Android

Malwarebytes for Android scans your phone or tablet for malware, adware, and potentially unwanted apps. The free version scans only when you start a scan. Real-time protection, which checks apps automatically, is part of the paid Premium version.

  1. Download Malwarebytes for Android.

    You can download Malwarebytes for Android by clicking the link below.

    Malwarebytes for AndroidScans your phone and removes malware at no cost
    Get Malwarebytes for AndroidOpens Google Play in a new tab.Want real-time protection? See Malwarebytes Premium for Android
  2. Install Malwarebytes for Android on your phone.

    In the Google Play Store, tap “Install” to install Malwarebytes for Android on your device.

    Tap Install to install Malwarebytes for Android

    When the installation process has finished, tap “Open” to begin using Malwarebytes for Android. You can also open Malwarebytes by tapping on its icon in your phone menu or home screen.
    Malwarebytes for Android - Open App

  3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process

    When Malwarebytes opens, it walks you through a short setup. Tap Get started and follow the prompts. If you see an offer for a trial or a paid plan, read it before you accept. You can skip it and keep using the free scanner.

    Malwarebytes will ask for permission to access the files on your phone so it can scan them. Tap Allow, or turn on the permission in the Android screen that opens, then return to Malwarebytes.

  4. Run a scan with Malwarebytes for Android

    On the main screen, tap Scan now. In some versions, you open the menu, tap Scanner, and then tap Run a scan.

  5. Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.

    Malwarebytes will now start scanning your phone for adware and other malicious apps. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
    Malwarebytes scanning Android for Vmalware

  6. Remove the detected apps.

    When the scan has been completed, you will see a list of the threats that Malwarebytes for Android has detected. Next to each detected item, tap the menu icon (three dots), then choose to uninstall the app or delete the file. Android then asks you to confirm. Tap OK or Uninstall to remove the app.

  7. Restart your phone.

    When the detected apps are removed, restart your phone if Malwarebytes asks you to. Then check whether the problems you noticed have stopped.


If the problems you noticed continue after the scan, see the options below.

Keep your phone protectedStop the next infection before it starts
Malwarebytes for Android Premium adds real-time protection that blocks malicious apps and scam links before they can harm your phone.See Malwarebytes for Android

If you are still having problems with your phone after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:

A factory reset erases everything on your phone. Your apps, photos, files, and settings are deleted, so use it only if the problem continues after the steps above and after you’ve asked for help. Before you reset:
  • Back up your photos, videos, files, and messages, for example to your Google account or a computer.
  • Make sure you know your Google account email and password. The phone asks for them after the reset. If you changed the password recently, Google recommends waiting 24 hours before you reset.
  • On a Samsung phone, also make sure you know your Samsung account password.
  • If you use an authenticator app for two-step verification, move your accounts to another device or save your backup codes first.
On a Google Pixel, go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). On a Samsung Galaxy phone, go to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset. Menu names differ on other phones, so check your manufacturer’s support site.

Stay Protected: Block Ads and Malicious Sites

No scan can prove a device is completely clean, so it helps to block threats before they reach you. Most infections start with a malicious ad or a fake download button β€” so blocking them at the source is your best defense.

We recommend AdGuard, which blocks malicious ads, phishing pages, and dangerous redirects before they can reach you.

πŸ‘‰ Download AdGuard and browse safely

Three Details That Do Not Authenticate This Notice

The email looks professionally designed

A clean layout, blue button, and familiar wordmark can be reproduced without access to Coinbase’s systems. Presentation is not a sender-verification method.

Do not rely on spelling mistakes either. A future copy may be written carefully while retaining the same deceptive destination.

The notice sounds cautious rather than threatening

Phishing does not always shout about immediate loss. Routine language can lower suspicion precisely because it resembles ordinary service housekeeping.

The relevant issue is the request and its destination, not whether the sender sounds polite.

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You really own cryptocurrency

A broadly distributed message can happen to fit your circumstances. That coincidence does not prove the sender has inspected your genuine account.

Check actual holdings privately through the service you use. Do not disclose a balance to an impersonator to establish that the warning applies.

What to Preserve After an Unauthorized Login

Record the unfamiliar session or transaction shown by the genuine service. Keep it separate from claims displayed on the phishing page.

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Note the approximate time credentials were entered and any codes approved. That window can help support compare your report with account events.

If the email was forwarded by a colleague or relative, preserve the original where available. A screenshot alone may omit sender and routing information useful for investigation.

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Do not post full headers or identity documents publicly. Share sensitive evidence only through the legitimate provider’s designated reporting process.

Keep reporting and recovery expectations separate. Supplying evidence can help an investigation, but no submitted report automatically guarantees return of transferred cryptocurrency.

If more than one person uses an organizational account, coordinate with its actual administrator. Several simultaneous recovery attempts can make it harder to identify which actions were authorized.

Keep copies of genuine support acknowledgments separately from the impersonator’s replies. That prevents a continuing scam conversation from being mistaken for progress on a real report.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is every Coinbase inactivity email fake?

No. This warning concerns the reported impersonation. Genuine account restrictions or unclaimed-property procedures can exist and should be checked through the actual service.

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Do not rely on an unsolicited button to determine which applies.

What if I haven’t used Coinbase for years?

Check through the official app or a trusted address. An old account is a reason to verify independently, not a reason to trust this sender.

Follow the real provider’s recovery process if you cannot sign in.

Why might the next page ask for my email password?

A service-themed phishing email can target mailbox credentials instead of the advertised service. The exact destination in this campaign was unavailable during analysis.

Protect the account whose password you actually supplied.

Does clicking the email prove that my crypto was stolen?

No. Check actual activity and the actions you completed. Clicking, entering information, approving access, and transferring funds have different consequences.

Do not accept the phishing page’s account display as a genuine balance record.

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Should I transfer funds to support’s safe wallet?

Do not follow unsolicited instructions to move assets to a supplied address. Coinbase warns against this form of support impersonation.

Use genuine account-protection controls and support reached independently.

Can a clean antivirus result close the incident?

Not if credentials, sessions, or funds were exposed. A device scan does not invalidate account access granted elsewhere.

Complete the relevant exchange, mailbox, or wallet response as well as any necessary device assessment.

The Bottom Line

Do not use this Coinbase inactivity email’s holdings-review button. Its plausible account-maintenance story does not authenticate the sender or the login destination.

Check any real restriction through Coinbase directly. If you submitted information, secure the specific account involved and report unauthorized activity through genuine channels.

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Pause before the next suspicious message.

A convincing message can lead to a fake login page. These tools add checks and browsing protection alongside your own verification.

Affiliate links We may earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. How we’re funded

MalwarebytesSCAM & MALWARE PROTECTION

Check the message before you respond.

Share suspicious text or a link with Malwarebytes Scam Guard for an assessment. Premium Security adds protection against phishing and other web threats.

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Explore MalwarebytesExplore features on the official website
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Cut down the distractions around you.

AdGuard filters intrusive ads and trackers. Its supported protection features can also help block access to known dangerous websites.

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Explore AdGuardExplore features on the official website

Features vary by device and plan. These tools add protection; they do not guarantee that a website or offer is trustworthy.

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Written by

Lapain Epuran

Lapain Epuran investigates product scams, from supplements sold with miracle-cure claims to gadgets pushed through misleading ads. She has more than 10 years of experience in investigations and checks each product's claims, seller and refund terms before giving a verdict.

4,168 articlesWriting since 2024
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