Bitcoin Forum

Hello

Crypto enthusiasts, recently I noticed there is so much alts announcements filling my inbox rapidly. Be warned and cautious about downloading wallets from these threads.  More importantly never run any alts wallet on your main PC ie that you use for exchange, trading, do online transactions. Use a 2nd computer to do experiments and test these wallets. Also you should better of installing deepfreeze on it. So after every testing you can just reboot your testing PC to make it clean state.

In addition to Devss suggestions I recommend a file scan on Virus Total: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload (is not bullet proof but is an extra layer of security.)

If you don't have a spare computer you can use a VM (Virtual Machine) to run untrusted programs on your local PC.
Oracle's VM VirtualBox is one of them, you can download and use it for free from here: https://www.virtualbox.org/

How to use VirtualBox VMs tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB_5fqiysi4

Credits: TechGumbo youtuber.

You could just wait for others to run a test and write a  comprehensive review about those wallets. You don't have to rush using it and risk any of your device. We have seen so many wallets with malware already and the latest one I think was the SAFU wallet. I believe the scammers were able to trick some airdrop hunters to download it and then took their funds.

OP can use Virustotal.com to scan both URLs and files. If when you scan URL and found threats, you should immediately stop at it, there is no need to keep scanning files or downloading files from sites.

[Guide] Virustotal scan guideline to detect viruses, trojans, malwares, worms (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5114735.0)

In addition, make sure to check the reliability of Github accounts. (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5139034.msg50883346#msg50883346)

There is another alternative, but seems to be better than Virustotal.com when you need to scan files: https://any.run/

Huh. Why are you receving altcoin annoumcements private messages in the first place? Is this some thing that only altcoin bounty people receive? Probably make sure that the "allow newbies to send you PMs" option is unchecked to hopefully decrease pm spam(if the accounts are newbies).

https://i.imgur.com/EQQPksg.png

Instead of using a second PC formally, can't you just either use Amazon AWS VPS or load a virtual machine in your "second" PC itself? A virtual machine helps you use any OS on your system while no need to have it officially loaded on your PC, so I don't think it'd affect anything you've kept on your PC if you use a virtual machine like VMware.

My PC got infected once by the clipboard hijacker malware after I downloaded one of those wallets.
I was a newbie back then and joined an airdrop or bounty campaign (can't remeber) and participants were required to download a walletin order to receive the coins.

Anyway, If you find any suspicious link you have to report it to mods or here: Report Malware and Suspicious Links here so Mods can take Action ! (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5182222.0)

that is not reliable and it also can take forever because usually experts don't bother with majority of altcoins specially the new ones and only regular users and newcomers fall for their advertisement and waste their time downloading the wallet and you can't really rely on their feedback to decide whether it is safe to use or not.
a better solution is either staying away from them entirely or use a sandbox to install their clients so that you isolate it from your main computer.

I don't tick on that option because I really believe that newbies are the future of the forum. Two years ago, I was a newbie too and I needed help as well as have received help from many users to move forwards till today, at the rank I have, the recognition I have (somewhat) on the forum.

If one user has good knowledge, and carefulness to don't get trapped by newbie scammers, let's enable that option in order to give good newbies a gate to contact and ask for help. I know it is annoying to see newbie scammers attack with spam PMs but I rarely receive such PMs. Maybe I am not a good target for them.

Above all those reasons, it is a personal favorite and decision.

If you have an up-to-date Windows and a paid Anti-Virus you should be fine.
But I agree, you should always be vigilant about installing new programs on your computer.

OPs are likely receiving the announcements to his mail and not forum inbox. Especially if he activates the notifications from the specific board or his e-mail is not private at all.

Most of these new altcoins are ERC20 tokens, created on the Ethereum blockchain, so you shouldn't be required to download a new wallet in the first place. You should be able to use any wallet that is compatible with the ERC20 standard.  
It is very rare that a new project creates a completely new blockchain and new wallet, they usually rely on existing solutions.

If we are talking about airdrops from already established Alts and such, make sure to check if that ANN was created by the official team. Check their website, Telegram and social media, they will surely talk about it and advertise it there.

Why are you receiving ANN announcements at all? What good does it do? Have you learned anything from it or have you earned any serious money from these ANNs, bounties/airdrops?

Today there is a good suggestion on how to protect your computer from all kinds of fraudulent wallets. Install a virtualbox virtual machine for yourself. This is free software. And for even greater security, you can install a sandbox inside the machine. For example Shadowuser. Then, when using it, you will be able to start working every time like on a new system, without prejudice to your main system.

no you won't be safe.
Windows is known to always have backdoors some of them placed there intentionally by Microsoft itself. being closed source it will continue to have these weaknesses forever.
additionally anti viruses are not 100% reliable all the time not to mention that it may not even be possible to categorize certain things as virus/malware to be detected by them. for example a malicious altcoin wallet that searches your computer for your "bitcoin wallets" and sends them to the attacker is not doing anything detectable by an anti virus!

This is true. I didn't said is bullet proof, but is better than running a cracked Windows and no AV.
Regarding the "bitcoin wallets" I presume that someone involved deep in crypto, will use a Trezor/Ledger key.

Rightly said, nothing is impossible in this ecosystem, some project create their company for years and still ends up scamming the masses, the same goes to the numerous wallets we come accross everytime an altcoin project is launched and even some of them promises to give their users free coins which entices lots of users but all in all, we should be careful with the kind of wallets and apps we download on our pc and phones to prevent disastrous occurrences.

Preferable to download the project's wallet after you have verified the community, credentials, online profiles of the staff, know a little bit more the developers, check how serious the project is, find for the reputation of members, team, project, etc.

Check the wallet with antivirus software. Ask someone in the community or forum if they are using it already.

I always try to verify any wallet before installing in my pc.If that wallet is not reputed or I found doubt then I just ignore that wallet.Also If i think that wallet is good but I always try scan that wallet in virustotal before install.And I am using this method from 2017 and still didn’t face any problem.Also using 2pc is annoying to me.             

Maybe you should be looking at this one too !
Have done already that to warn new and other Users.

Guide and advice for new Users before you Download anything from the Forum ! (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5167236.0)