Scam report Email Scams

Crypto Cashback Reward Email Scam: Fake $7M Payout

By Lapain Epuran9 min read

An unexpected email says a cryptocurrency payment worth $7,146,325.16 USDT is almost ready. Verification is already 75% complete, and the only remaining step appears to be contacting support through Signal.

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The Crypto Cashback Reward email scam is an advance-fee scheme. The enormous balance, managed fund, progress indicator, and support team are invented to start a private conversation where criminals can demand money and personal information.

Reconstructed Crypto Cashback Reward scam email
Reconstructed example of the Crypto Cashback Reward scam email. This illustration is not the original message.
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Overview

The message claims to come from a β€œDigital Money Market Funding System” and says the recipient earned a 1% share of a managed fund totaling $714,632,516.87. It translates that fictional allocation into a pending reward of $7,146,325.16 USDT.

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There is no verified investment account, fund statement, contract, transaction hash, regulated institution, or withdrawal record behind the claim. The recipient is told to contact a support number through Signal, moving the conversation away from email and into a private chat controlled by the scammers.

The reward is fabricated from start to finish

The email does not identify any real investment the recipient made or explain why an unknown system would allocate a fortune to them. The β€œcashback” label is used without a purchase, contribution, or program agreement that could generate a reward.

Large totals and precise decimals are not evidence. Exact-looking figures can be invented as easily as round numbers and may be chosen to resemble data copied from a financial platform.

The 75% progress bar creates false momentum

A nearly complete status makes the payout feel like an existing process rather than a new proposition. The recipient is encouraged to think that most verification happened in the background and only a small final action remains.

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The progress indicator is a graphic inside the email. It is not connected to a blockchain, bank, compliance system, or account review.

The private chat begins the payment trap

  • Support may request a tax, release, gas, compliance, or administration fee.
  • A fake dashboard or document may be supplied to justify the charge.
  • Identity documents and bank details may be requested for β€œverification.”
  • Every payment can be followed by another invented obstacle.
  • Recovery scammers may contact victims after the original fraud.

Signal is a legitimate private messaging service and is not responsible for the scheme. Criminals choose messaging apps because direct conversations are easier to personalize and harder for an email provider or workplace security team to monitor.

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Why the $7,146,325.16 USDT Story Does Not Add Up

No investment relationship is identified

A real fund can identify its legal entity, regulator, administrator, custodian, investor agreement, account number, and transaction history. This email supplies a grand title and large balance but no relationship the recipient can verify.

Someone cannot quietly become entitled to 1% of a managed fund without an investment, contract, inheritance, court order, or documented promotion.

β€œCrypto cashback” is used as a vague financial label

Cashback normally relates to a purchase, card program, exchange promotion, or documented rewards account. The message does not connect the claimed payout to any qualifying activity.

Adding USDT terminology gives the story a modern technical surface. It does not create the missing source of funds or the legal right to receive them.

A real distribution would not begin with a random Signal number

Regulated financial businesses use established account portals, documented support channels, identity procedures, and formal disclosures. They do not reveal a multimillion payment through unsolicited email and ask the beneficiary to begin on a private chat number.

The chat is useful to the scammer because it allows pressure, scripted replies, disappearing accounts, and one-on-one instructions for sending money.

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How the Crypto Cashback Reward Email Scam Works

Step 1: A mass email announces an extraordinary payout

Recipients are told they hold a share in a large managed fund and are owed millions in USDT. The attacker may insert the email address or name to make the message appear individually generated.

The campaign does not need to know whether the recipient owns cryptocurrency. Curiosity, financial need, or fear of missing a legitimate asset can be enough to produce a reply.

Step 2: Invented institutions supply authority

Names such as β€œDigital Money Market Funding System” and β€œTokenized Money Market Fund Providers” sound financial without identifying an accountable company.

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Generic terms are difficult to verify because search results may contain unrelated legitimate discussions of money market funds and tokenization. The scam borrows that vocabulary while providing no real registration.

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Step 3: Precise totals create a mathematical story

The email presents a managed fund of $714,632,516.87, a 1% share, and a $7,146,325.16 USDT settlement. The arithmetic is intended to make the reward appear calculated by a system.

Correct arithmetic cannot validate false inputs. The underlying fund and allocation remain unsupported.

Step 4: A 75% status suggests the payout already exists

The progress bar makes the recipient feel close to completion. Walking away can then feel like abandoning an asset rather than rejecting an unsolicited claim.

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This is a form of commitment pressure. The victim has done nothing, but the interface implies that a process is already underway on their behalf.

Step 5: The recipient is moved to Signal

The email instructs the person to install or open Signal and contact a supplied number. The attacker can now respond as a support agent, compliance officer, or fund administrator.

Leaving email also separates the conversation from the original spam report and lets the criminal use a more persuasive interactive script.

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Step 6: Verification information is collected

The supposed agent may request a passport, driver’s license, selfie, address, bank information, wallet address, or screenshots. Each request is framed as necessary to prove ownership or satisfy regulations.

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These documents can support identity theft, account takeover, money-mule recruitment, and later impersonation. A fabricated payout does not require legitimate compliance.

Step 7: An advance fee blocks the imaginary withdrawal

The victim may be told to pay tax, insurance, gas, anti-money-laundering clearance, wallet activation, or a release charge. Payment may be requested in cryptocurrency, by wire, or through another hard-to-reverse method.

The FTC warns that promises of free cryptocurrency and demands for advance crypto payments are scam indicators. Legitimate funds do not need a stranger to send money to unlock a surprise reward.

Step 8: New fees continue until the victim stops

After one payment, the agent can invent a failed verification, conversion difference, network charge, or account limit. A fake dashboard may show the balance growing while withdrawals remain blocked.

No final payment releases the reward because the reward never existed. When the victim refuses, the account may disappear or a second group may offer fraudulent recovery for another fee.

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Warning Signs in the Crypto Cashback Reward Email

  • You receive a multimillion USDT allocation without making an investment.
  • The organization uses an impressive generic name but no verifiable legal identity.
  • A 1% fund share appears without an agreement or account statement.
  • The 75% verification status is shown only as an email graphic.
  • The message asks you to install or contact support through Signal.
  • No official portal, transaction hash, custodian, regulator, or audited record is provided.
  • Support asks for identity documents before proving the fund exists.
  • Any tax, release, gas, insurance, or compliance fee is required in advance.

The size of the promise is itself a warning. Genuine financial institutions do not discover anonymous beneficiaries through mass email and release fortunes through a chat conversation.

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What USDT Terminology Is Doing in the Scam

USDT is a real crypto asset designed to track the value of USD, but its appearance in an email does not prove that tokens were created, transferred, or reserved for the recipient.

A genuine transfer can be associated with a blockchain network, sending address, receiving address, amount, and transaction identifier. The email provides none of that verifiable history.

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Scammers often combine real technologies with invented accounts. The real existence of USDT makes the fictional β€œDigital Money Market Funding System” sound more plausible by association.

Never send a small test payment to validate the agent. Cryptocurrency transfers can be difficult to reverse, and a successful payment only tells the scammer that the victim is willing to continue.

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How to Verify an Unexpected Crypto Claim

Start with your own records

Review exchanges, wallets, tax records, contracts, and investment statements you already control. An asset worth millions should connect to documented activity, not appear first in a spam message.

Identify the legal entity

Ask for the exact registered company, jurisdiction, regulator, registration number, fund prospectus, administrator, and custodian. Verify each item independently through official registries.

Do not accept screenshots, certificates, or links supplied by the person making the claim as the only evidence.

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Check the blockchain evidence independently

A transaction identifier can be reviewed using a reputable explorer for the correct network. However, seeing tokens at an address does not prove that the sender owns them or will transfer them to you.

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Do not connect a wallet, sign a message, reveal a seed phrase, or approve a token allowance to β€œverify” eligibility.

Refuse every advance payment

Do not pay fees to receive unexpected money. A request for cryptocurrency, gift cards, a wire, or other difficult-to-recover payment confirms the risk rather than solving it.

Why Signal Is Used in the Scheme

Private messaging lets the scammer adjust the story to each victim. If someone questions the fund, the agent can produce a new explanation, document, or supervisor in real time.

The conversation can also become more personal. Repeated reassurance, compliments, deadlines, and warnings about losing the payout are easier to deliver in chat than through one static email.

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A Signal profile name and picture do not verify employment. Phone numbers can be obtained temporarily, and the person responding may be anywhere.

Report and block the account inside the app, but preserve screenshots and payment details first if money or identification was sent.

Unexpected crypto rewards should always be verified through the service's official app, never through a payment link supplied in a message.

What to Do if You Have Fallen Victim to This Scam

  1. Stop the conversation. Do not argue, pay another fee, or follow instructions to move assets between wallets.
  2. Preserve the evidence. Save the original email, full headers, Signal profile, chat, phone number, wallet addresses, transaction IDs, receipts, and documents.
  3. Contact the payment service immediately. Tell the exchange, bank, card issuer, or transfer provider that the transaction was induced by fraud and ask what recovery action is available.
  4. Secure financial and crypto accounts. Change passwords, revoke sessions and API keys, review withdrawal addresses, and enable strong multifactor authentication.
  5. Move remaining crypto only with trusted help. If a seed phrase or private key was exposed, use a new wallet created safely and never accept migration instructions from an unsolicited β€œexpert.”
  6. Protect your identity. If identification was shared, follow the recovery steps for your country, monitor credit, and alert the issuing authority where appropriate.
  7. Watch for follow-up impersonation. Scammers may pose as police, regulators, lawyers, exchanges, or recovery agents who claim they can retrieve funds for a fee.
  8. Report the Signal account. Block it after preserving evidence so the attacker cannot continue applying pressure.
  9. Report the fraud. In the U.S., submit reports to the FTC, FBI IC3, and relevant crypto platform. Other countries have equivalent cybercrime and financial regulators.
  10. Tell trusted people what happened. A family member, colleague, or financial professional can help evaluate new messages and prevent further rushed payments.
  11. Scan devices if files or apps were installed. Malwarebytes can check for information stealers, remote-access tools, and other threats introduced during the conversation.
  12. Reduce access to known scam infrastructure. AdGuard can filter many recognized malicious domains, while caution remains necessary for new sites and private messages.
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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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the $7,146,325.16 USDT payment real?

No reliable evidence supports it. The fund, allocation, and progress status are fabricated parts of an unsolicited advance-fee story.

Can someone earn a 1% fund share without investing?

Not through the unexplained process in this email. A real ownership interest requires documents, an identifiable entity, and verifiable account history.

Does the 75% verification bar track a real payment?

No. It is a visual element intended to create momentum. It is not connected to a bank, blockchain, or compliance review.

Is Signal unsafe to use?

Signal is a legitimate messaging service. The risk comes from the stranger and false financial claim, not from the app itself.

Will paying a tax or gas fee release the USDT?

No. The balance does not exist. Paying one charge usually leads to another invented requirement.

Can a crypto recovery company get my payment back?

Be extremely cautious. Unsolicited recovery offers that require fees are often another scam. Work directly with the exchange, financial institution, and law enforcement.

The Bottom Line

The Crypto Cashback Reward email scam uses an impossible $7,146,325.16 USDT payout, fake 75% progress, and financial jargon to move victims into a private Signal conversation.

No reward is waiting. Do not send fees or identification, and do not connect a wallet. If you already paid, preserve every record, contact the payment platform immediately, secure your accounts, and avoid anyone promising guaranteed recovery.

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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.

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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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AdGuardAD & TRACKER BLOCKING

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.

  • Blocks intrusive ads and pop-ups
  • Filters trackers while you browse
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.

4,078 articlesWriting since 2024
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