started-aave-protocol-en[.]pages[.]dev

PhishDestroy has identified the domain started-aave-protocol-en.pages.dev as a brand impersonation threat targeting Aave, a well-known DeFi lending protocol. The risk level is marked as under investigation, indicating that while the site has been taken offline, the threat posed by such impersonation remains significant. This specific domain mimics the Aave platform to deceive users into believing they are accessing legitimate services, potentially leading to credential theft or financial loss.

Technical indicators from the investigation reveal that the domain was created on April 13, 2026, and registered through Cloudflare, Inc. It resolves to IP address 188.114.96.3 and holds an SSL certificate issued by Google Trust Services (WE1). Despite being offline, VirusTotal shows 0 detections out of 95 security vendors, meaning it was not flagged by most scanners. However, it appears on one security blocklist. The page title observed was "AAVE Protocol – Next-Gen DeFi Platform for Interest-Free Borrowing," which closely mimics the legitimate Aave branding.

To protect against such phishing attempts, users should always verify the URL before entering any credentials or financial information. Legitimate Aave platforms use official domains like "aave.com" and never ask for private keys or seed phrases. PhishDestroy recommends enabling two-factor authentication on all DeFi accounts and reporting any suspicious domains to security teams. If you have interacted with this site, change passwords immediately and monitor accounts for unauthorized activity.