trafficads.net scam ads: “Googleユーザーのあなた、おめでとうございます!”

For a few months I have been seeing sudden popups in the middle of visiting various websites. The ads are hosted on URLs such as http://trafficads.net/graun/?pubads={some-hexadecimal-number} and the back button will be disabled – there is no way to get back to the article that had been reading.

The ads are in Japanese (I am accessing from a Japanese IP address) and tell you that you can win an iPhone X, iPad Air 2 or Samsung Galaxy S6. They then ask some easy questions about who founded Google, in what country it is based and what year it was founded. Regardless of your answers, it will tell you that they were correct and that you have won an iPhone X 64 GB. You are then asked to give your credit card to pay for shipping. I strongly recommend you do not give them your credit card!

Before I started seeing the ads in trafficads.net, I think saw them on a number of different domains that kept changing. For several weeks, one consistent domain has been used instead.

I do not know yet how those ads get injected into the Chrome browser. However, I have seen them on three different machines, one of them a Mac, the others PCs. I doubt all three of them could be infected with the same malware. There’s got to be a different mechanism.

There are a number of Japanese web postings that discuss these fraudulent ads masquerading as prize wins to get people’s credit cards, but none of them explain how the ads are injected or what countermeasure there is, other than closing the tab of the ad once it appears.

One thought on “trafficads.net scam ads: “Googleユーザーのあなた、おめでとうございます!”

  1. Joe wein ive read almost every article on your site and i have to commend you for a job well done. I know that scamming is evil and that nigerians are at the top of this..but it comes to question what brings about this, what pushes a lot of people into this line of work? Is it just the urge to make quick money or are some people trueley in need and have tried all means possible but to no avail. We know that the white have a very good economy so thats one of the main reasons why we beg you guys for money but then you then insult us and when one has had enough insults they take tricking you out of your money. Take me for example i know what ive been through after i lost my parents trying to pull my self through school.. currently im in 300 level of mechanical engineering with a cgpa of 4.6 …but right now im on the verge of breakdown..my fees have not been paid my house rent has not been paid no books nothing amd we have our exams coming up in 3 weeks but yet i havent resumed school..so due to this i might have to stay an extra year and my cgpa will drastically go down, thereby reducing my chances of a good job in future.. so tell me why wont i take to scamming why wont i collect from the wealthy to help my poor life and my little sister who is a cleaner in someones house…sir i dont know why i feel very sad and emotional while writing this..i feel like im talking to God who is about to judge people and begging for his mercy and compassion…sir joe if you reply me ill send you my btc wallet let me use you and prove to yourself that asians and most especially americanos find it hard to give out

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