Spam Redirect (1 Viewer)

[RocAFella1]

Anyone else getting redirected to a spam ad?

 

[Blacksox1]

Yes

 

[Saoliver]

Yep. I get it from time to time on my iPhone.

 

[FordPickup92]

Well that's just annoying

 

[Phish1321]

Yes, this is the 2nd time in about a month that it’s happened to me. Anyone have a solution? Last time it just went away after about 2 days of annoying the shit out of me.

 

[FordPickup92]

Well that's just annoying

I meant the spam ads not your post.... lol easy grumps

 

[RocAFella1]

I meant the spam ads not your post.... lol easy grumps

Lol I was angry at the ads not your post

 

[FordPickup92]

So @Ben8257 said lick a Carolina reaper pepper Haha it's hot but not horrible

 

[RocAFella1]

Yes, this is the 2nd time in about a month that it’s happened to me. Anyone have a solution? Last time it just went away after about 2 days of annoying the shit out of me.

Is it an iPhone thing or is it the PCF server?

 

[Schmendr1ck]

Yes, it's trying though Chrome is blocking it for me.

@Tommy?

 

[FordPickup92]

Yes, it's trying though Chrome is blocking it for me.

@Tommy?

Same

 

[kmccormick100]

Yup, only on my iphone

 

[MatB]

Me too.

 

[MatB]

this seems to have worked for now.

 

[Tommy]

Is it an iPhone thing or is it the PCF server?

Ads on PCF are only served by Google. The PCF site and server are not infected with any malware. Occasionally spammers get legit advertiser accounts with Google then push these type of ads.

These particular ads are called forced redirects. They get submitted to Google, Amazon, etc. as legitimate-looking ads, but there is hidden javascript within the ad that takes over your phone or desktop browser once the ad runs.

They usually get shut down by Google fairly quickly.

More info about it here: https://brokeassstuart.com/2018/02/01/scourge-congratulations-pop-ad/

 

[Highli99]

It was happening to me this afternoon but seems to have stopped thankfully.

 

[Rhodeman77]

I reported the same thing to @Tommy about a month ago and it seems Google fixed it within a few days. Today I also received the same add again and I haven’t been on any other sites. Seems the hackers are ahead of those chasing them.

 

[Tommy]

Frankly, I'd like to do away with the ads but they are needed to help pay for the site. I did away with the Facebook widget code a while back and used a static image instead. Too much tracking BS with their code.

Anyone can use an ad blocker, so adding a member support tier that will remove the ads without the use of an ad blocker is an option. I know many choose not to use an ad blocker on PCF and I do appreciate that. A member support tier would just be another option for everyone. No lifetime stuff. I could drop dead tomorrow. (knocks on wood)

 

[FordPickup92]

That sounds like a strong idea, I like it

 

[Pokerdad]

I just can’t get rid of it. It’s driving me insane

 

[Rhodeman77]

I just can’t get rid of it. It’s driving me insane

Every click was doing it to me. I cleared my history which required me to log back in afterwards and have been okay since. Last time that didn’t work long though.

 

[kk405]

Use Chrome instead of Safari...I've had this issue with Safari on iOS (both iPhone and iPad), but never with Chrome.

 

[yone]

I just can’t get rid of it. It’s driving me insane

Me too!

 

[Pokerdad]

Every click was doing it to me. I cleared my history which required me to log back in afterwards and have been okay since. Last time that didn’t work long though.

Yeah, I’ve cleared and reset my phone 5Xs. Using chrome is next if it doesn’t go away this time.

 

[Highli99]

Safari was blowing up every click. I'm in chrome now.

 

[Tommy]

Some more info from that article I linked to above.

“These forced redirects are a technical mechanism that can be leveraged to deliver a variety of malicious attacks, from those targeting businesses (affiliation fraud), to those targeting individual users (phishing scams, malicious downloads, fake updates etc.),” Confiant CTO Jerome Dangu wrote in an explanation to Ars Technica. “At a minimum, these forced redirects often make a website unusable for an everyday user, [and] at worse [visitors] are being directly attacked. People need to understand where the issues are coming from (often the website owner gets blamed, even as they themselves are a victim, too) and what the new risks are for them in an ad-supported Internet.”

HOW CAN I STOP THE ‘CONGRATULATIONS!’ AD ON MY PHONE OR COMPUTER?

We’re going to assume your browsing on Safari (iOS) or Chrome (Google/Android). If you’re browsing on another platform, try Googling “How to stop forced redirects on [name of your platform].”

On Safari (iOS), go into your Settings and then click on Safari. On the Safari list, make sure you check Block Pop-Ups, Prevent Cross-Site Tracking, Block All Cookies, and Ask Websites Not To Track Me. (As seen above). NOTE: You’ll have to enter passwords manually if you do this. You’d think that a $1,000 iPhonewould say something about this in the instructions, but a $1,000 iPhone does not come with instructions.

Google claims they’ve just fixed this problem for Chrome and Android with the Jan. 23 release of Chrome 64. (I only upgraded like an hour ago, so I cannot vouch.) To make sure you’re running Chrome 64, go to your Browser’s menu, click Help, then Click About Google Chrome and follow the upgrade instructions.

Considering Google runs the very ad servers on which this is happening, maybe they could maybe budget a little more money on vetting their ad partners, and less money for their employees’ catered meals, desk massages, and exorbitant salaries? Then some real congratulations would be in order.

Who works for Google on here? You get desk massages!?!

 

[Rhodeman77]

Clearing history isn’t working this time for me either. I’m going to try chrome

 

[auto]

I am still getting this redirect ad after applying the recommended setting, clearing my history & website data on Safari.

I now switched over to using Chrome.

 

[Pud]

I can’t get it to stop either.

 

[uclaure]

I couldn’t either...just downloaded chrome for my iPhone.