Scammy redirect ads hijacking me away from AW

Please:

Log off AW
Delete your cookies (make sure you know your logins)
Empty your browser cache
Completely close all your Web browser tabs/windows and Quit/Shut down your Web browser
Open your browser
Log back into AW (click the tiny Remember Me box if you want to stay logged on)

To clear cache and cookies on an iPad got to Settings-->Safari--> Clear History and Web Site Data

Another few steps to add:

1) Go into your Google activity at https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity
2) Filter by date.
3) Select Before and put in today's date.
4) Search.
5) Select the triple dots on the top Search line
6) Delete Results

This deletes all your latest browsing activity without touching cookies or login or temp files. Just what Google remembers where you went and what it passes on to advertisers.


-cb

cbenoi1 said:

Another few steps to add:

1) Go into your Google activity at https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity
2) Filter by date.
3) Select Before and put in today's date.
4) Search.
5) Select the triple dots on the top Search line
6) Delete Results

This deletes all your latest browsing activity without touching cookies or login or temp files. Just what Google remembers where you went and what it passes on to advertisers.


-cb

Click to expand...

This is a hijack. She really needs to delete cookies and cache.

AW Admin said:

This is a hijack. She really needs to delete cookies and cache.

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That. Plus removing history hinders Google in putting back the very same ads that caused the problem in the first place. A better solution is an ad blocker.

-cb

I used to use Safari and had similar problems. I switched to Google Chrome and got Ad Block Plus. It works great.

Chanan12 said:

I used to use Safari and had similar problems. I switched to Google Chrome and got Ad Block Plus. It works great.

Click to expand...

Adblock Plus works on Safari as well (including on the iPad).

But if you're going to block ads, consider contributing directly to AW, if you're able. Fast & easy to do. (You can even do it if you don't block ads!)

Lakey said:

Thanks. I just want to report - I did these things, and they seemed to work for about a week, but then the hijacks began again, and only on AW. I cleared all the web site data and restarted the browser again, and it didn’t work at all - I was getting hijacks within a couple of minutes of browsing - and the only site I looked at in that session was AW.

Any other thoughts - apart from suggestions an ad blocker, which I’d really rather not use if it can be avoided? If it is ads being served to AW do you have any recourse with your ad provider?

If it’s entirely on my end I will cope, but I haven’t had this problem so systematically with any other website (which might just be because there aren’t that many websites I visit as frequently as this one).

Click to expand...

It's really truly not on AW. The JavaScript that does the hijacking can be picked up somewhere else. It waits until it sees the slot for an ad, then inserts itself.

I can try blocking more ads, but honestly, we've blocked so many ads that there aren't a lot left to block.

AW Admin said:

It's really truly not on AW. The JavaScript that does the hijacking can be picked up somewhere else. It waits until it sees the slot for an ad, then inserts itself.

I can try blocking more ads, but honestly, we've blocked so many ads that there aren't a lot left to block.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't recommend that. Never did.


As Lisa says above, it's a JavaScript problem and it is likely you're picking up the hijack elseweb and it's just lying in wait. There are things you can do to help prevent it happening again. (I've never been able to replicate this issue because of what I have in place.)

1.) Follow these instructions in the order Lisa gives:

AW Admin said:

Please:

Log off AW
Delete your cookies (make sure you know your logins)
Empty your browser cache
Completely close all your Web browser tabs/windows and Quit/Shut down your Web browser
Open your browser
Log back into AW (click the tiny Remember Me box if you want to stay logged on)

To clear cache and cookies on an iPad got to Settings-->Safari--> Clear History and Web Site Data

Click to expand...

2.) Check to see if your browser is up-to-date. If not, run the update.

3.) Go into your browser settings and make sure the built-in pop-up blocker is turned on and Javascript is turned off.

4.) Install Malwarebytes; it's free. (Malwarebytes, Norton, Webroot all have mobile versions of their anti-malware software. I don't know which ones are free; you'll have to check.)

5.) Check other settings under "Privacy" and "Security"; there may more you can tweak—particularly if you have a mobile browser.

You're welcome. Clearing your cache and cookies will work for a while because you're eliminating the current problem, but if you have existing vulnerabilities, it will happen again. There are different flavors of existing malware and more coming all the time, so it's a really good idea to keep your software and anti-malware up-to-date, as well as getting in the habit of clearing your cache and cookies regularly. Clearing cache and cookies ('cause cookies can get stale or corrupted) periodically will help to keep your browser response time at optimum, too. just sayin'

Lakey said:

Thanks. As I said, I've done what Lisa suggested; it even worked for a while. My browser is up to date. I'll look into the rest of what you suggest. I'm fairly clamped down on my PC (where I've never seen this issue here), but I admit to not knowing much about what's available for mobile browser security. I do appreciate the information.

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Here's the thing; you're picking up the script that generates that highjack from somewhere else, so it's quite likely it will happen again.

The thing to do is, when you see it, follow the same steps above.

If you're getting hijacked on a computer and you also use a smart phone or a tablet with a synced browser, it's a good idea to clear cache and cookies on those devices too.

AW Admin said:

Here's the thing; you're picking up the script that generates that highjack from somewhere else, so it's quite likely it will happen again.

Click to expand...

It's not AW's fault. It's not the users' fault. I get that.

Nonetheless, that begs the question: Will this be fixed for good one day?

-cb

cbenoi1 said:

It's not AW's fault. It's not the users' fault. I get that.

Nonetheless, that begs the question: Will this be fixed for good one day?

-cb

Click to expand...

Do you think there'll ever come a time when people who want to exploit others no longer exist? I'd like to think that day will come, but I can't. As long as there are people who exploit others, they'll look for newer and better ways to do it.

Ari Meermans said:

Do you think there'll ever come a time when people who want to exploit others no longer exist? I'd like to think that day will come, but I can't. As long as there are people who exploit others, they'll look for newer and better ways to do it.

Click to expand...

Okay. So the ad blocker stays up then.

-cb


PS: yes, I did send some money your way as a compensation.