CBS Local -- Pop-up ads were a plague to internet users for years before the invention of pop-up blocking technology. Now, it seems the old menace has come back with a new twist as iPhone and Android users are reportedly being bombarded by phony messages telling them they’ve won a prize.
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The new wave of “congratulations” pop-up ads promise prizes like free Amazon gift cards, iPhones, or cash in exchange for clicking on the message or submitting personal information. According to security experts, these ads aren’t just a fraud, they’re infecting your computers or mobile devices with malware.
Hey @TheAtlantic I’d link my audience to one of your articles but it seems you’re getting paid to let scumbags run random JavaScript that hijacks my phone. Plz forward to your team. Thx <3 pic.twitter.com/dLllky6BEo
— SwiftOnSecurity (@SwiftOnSecurity) January 7, 2018
The Facebook News Feed is, usually, an annoying pit stop you have to make on the way to actually utilizing the site. Between yet another scam video claiming to show a topless Rihanna (it’s just. This way, you may reduce the cleanup time from hours to minutes. Download Now Learn how ComboCleaner works. If the utility spots malicious code, you will need to buy a license to get rid of it. With numerous versions of the fake “Congratulations you won” popups in rotation, they all have a common denominator. How do you get rid of congratulations you won? To remove “Congratulations You Won” pop-up ads, follow these steps: STEP 1: Uninstall the malicious programs from Windows. STEP 2: Use Malwarebytes to remove “Congratulations You Won” adware.
Researchers from cybersecurity firm Symantec say the scammers look for users to take the bait so victims will enter personal information that is transmitted back to the criminals.
“Scammers often craft fake testimonials and endorsements supposedly by other users that look like these were posted on the said platforms,” Symantec officials wrote in a blog post.
Another reported side effect of the “you won” pop-ups has seen Facebook users unintentionally giving scammers access to their friends list. Once a victim’s Facebook is infected, scammers can allegedly send your friends more fake messages through your account.
“As we do more and more of our life on our phones the scammers are migrating with us,” security expert Steven J. J. Weisman said, via azfamily.com. “It’s like going to a county fair and playing ‘Whack a Mole.’ As soon as you bang one another one comes up.”
According to a report by security company Confiant, malicious pop-ups are making a comeback through sophisticated fraud networks which use fake ad agencies to infiltrate legitimate websites and spread “malvertising.”
“Mobile ads are booming in today’s market. Mobile ads done properly are a good value to consumers,” Bryan Shetsky, CEO of Lamark Media Group added.
Tech experts say there are some ways to defend against the fake prizes messages, besides simply not clicking on them. Internet security companies have already identified the brand of malware attacking Android device. The Android.Fakeyouwon virus has been added to the list of known threats anti-malware programs now look for.
For iOS users, Apple recommends always installing the latest updates and turning on the “Block Pop-ups” and “Fraudulent Website Warning” settings for Safari.
If you often experience vague sites opening in your mobile browser or too many ads are displaying on a web page, then your Android device might be infected with a virus. If you are redirected to a web page showing ‘Congratulations! You Won,’ when you click on any specific link, then your phone is attacked by malware or virus. You should get rid of it quickly otherwise you may end up with some unwanted ad displays and useless clicks.In this guide, I will show you the methods on how to remove ‘Congratulations you won’ virus from your Android device.
But
What is ‘Congratulations You Won’ virus?
First thing first. This is not a computer virus. It’s instead a program that displays a ton of popups, banners, and other kinds of ads in your mobile browser or/and some particular apps. It’s a kind of adware program we can say. Whenever you click on a link infected by this program or see the ads hijacked by it, then the developer who launched it earns some money. But, an accidental visit or view of an advertisement or website does not help to draw more.
So, the developers create some attracting advertisement, and one of the most common is ‘Congratulations! You Won.’ If your Android device gets infected to this, then you will be redirected to another remote site at the time you click on any link on your browser. A message will appear on the screen ‘Congratulations! You Won, ’ and you will be asked to fill some surveys, answer some simple questions, take part in polls, or any other easy & quick task to win an iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy or similar kind of gifts. It also sometimes comes in the form of ‘Facebook claim prize pop up on Android’ devices.
This thing leads many users to do such tasks as they think there will be no any harm if they just click on some links! Really?
How ‘Congratulations You Won’ adware injected in your Android device?
Such adware programs come as a bundled with other software downloads. In the cases where you download and install apps from third-party and unknown sites, the possibility of getting such kind of virus becomes high. Many free downloadable software sites don’t make you aware of other programs or files that may be installed on your device without your permission.
Why should you get rid of ‘Congratulations You Won’ virus?
Though it is not like a virus, you see in your computer system which deletes or infects your stored data, your identity, and some other personal information can be exposed if you don’t stay careful. The attackers target some of the most common types of ads to inject such malware like Ransomware and steal your identity. It can also slow down your system or make your web browser stopped working for some time.
Fixed: Congratulations You Won Virus on Android
Here, I will show you the detailed steps on how to get rid of congratulations you won virus on Android device. Let’s take a look at them. Keep your Android device with you if you are reading this in your computer system.
Step-1: Remove the program
House of fun cash out. Try to uninstall this adware first. For this;
- Open the ‘settings’ on your phone
- Go to ‘Application Manager’ (different devices may have different names like ‘Apps,’ ‘Application Manager,’ ‘Installed Apps,’ etc.)
- Then, go to ‘Downloaded’ section
- Look for the ‘Congratulations You Won’ and tap on it
- Select the ‘Uninstall’ button
The program will be uninstalled from your Android device. Now, follow the next steps to completely remove that from your system.
Step-2: Eliminate ‘Congratulations You Won’ from your browser
Every Android device comes with Google Chrome as a system browser. So, I will show the method to remove this program from Chrome here.
In this step, we will clear the cookies and browsing data from the Chrome which will also remove this virus from your device.
- Go to ‘Application Manager’ in your phone settings
- In the ‘Downloaded’ section, locate ‘Chrome.’
- Tap on it to open the browser information
- Now, choose the button displaying ‘Force Stop.’
- Then, press your finger on ‘Clear Data’ button
These steps will clear all the data history, cookies, & installed adware from Chrome.
Remember that every browser has similar actions to remove this adware. So, if you have multiple browsers installed on the mobile, then make sure to follow the steps mentioned above for all of them.
Step-3: Reboot the system
The final step is to restart your Android device to apply the changes made. For this;
- Press and hold the ‘Power’ key on your Android device
- Tap on ‘Restart’ or ‘Reboot’ from the options displayed
- Wait for your device to start again
This should fix the problem.
Extra tip: Don’t download anything from untrusted sources
Untrusted sources are those sites which are not approved by the Google Play Store or other Google platforms. Not all the websites which are not supported by Google are malicious, but when there is a matter of Android which is a Google product, then I recommend you not to visit them.
You should never visit or download any kind of file, software, or app from the untrusted sources. If you can’t decide about the website’s authority, then don’t worry, your Android device has the solution in itself.
- Open the device settings
- Go to ‘Security’ tab
- Look for the option displaying ‘Unknown Sources’ under the ‘Device Administration’ section
- Read the subtext under that label, which mostly shows ‘Allow installation of apps from unknown sources.’
- Keep that option OFF if you don’t want to download from such sites
Remember that your device data is more vulnerable if you download anything from the untrusted sites. So, if you don’t want to take any risk of damaging your phone or losing any data to the unknown sites, then always keep this option disabled.
Remove ‘Congratulations You Won’ virus on Android
You can also use some antivirus programs like Avast on your Android device which will keep your mobile safe when you browse or download anything from the web. Such third-party antivirus software will let you know for any suspicious activity from the internet or by installed app done on your device.
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I hope this article will help you to get rid of this common, annoying, and potentially dangerous virus ‘Congratulations You Won’ on Android devices.
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Do you know any other method than mentioned here? Hit the comment section below and let the world know.