"Congratulations! You have won!" pop-ups? Should I worry?

[Gjermund Kristiansen]

I just started getting this scam a couple of weeks ago, completely unrelated i delivered my phone to get a repair two days ago.
The very next day, I got the pop-up scam on the phone I am now borrowing from the shop where I delivered my phone.
It might be a coincidence, but it leads me to believe that this is something related to my google account, and not the phone or apps.

I tried the addons detector, but it didn`t find anything that had push notification permissions.

 

[brht27]

I had these for a long while. The default browser on my android phone is Chrome, and it did it a lot on there. I got Firefox browser on my phone and it did it on that too but not as often. About 4 or so months ago I discovered AdBlock Browser. Made by the same people that have the add-on for PC browser Firefox. Installed that one, haven't seen that error since.

Now I have a friend who uses Chrome on his phone to look at Facebook and every time he clicks a link I share he gets this pop up. It makes the noise freezes up his phone, and according to him deposits a virus. He blames my phone for it. saying it has a virus. I ran Glary Utilities for Mobile on it, and it always came back clean. Removed Glary and installed AVAST mobile and it scans clean too. I think my friend is in error and the virus is on his phone and when he thinks he has removed it, he hasn't.

Any thoughts?

 

[brht27]

Just saw this thread is for HTC's on Verizon, neither of which I have. I have a Motorola Moto G through I-Wireless.

 

[Iiigoiii]

Got this also a few times over the latest couple of months. Galaxy S4 on Verizon, Chrome browser.

Ad URL is from amazonaws, imitates a Facebook page. Claims it's a promotion run by whatever website I was on at the time the popup happened.

Happened this time while using cellular data, not wifi, so that eliminates router problems....

 

[KIMBOF1]

I get these all the time and they really get on my nerves I looked at the URL and for some of them it is findforfun.com FIND FOR FUN I feel as though people are tracking our phones I also get a page that tells me my phone is fatally damaged but this is not a LEGITIMATE page it's another scam I would really appreciate a true way to get rid of this for good thanks in advance, BTW I have CM Security and that never finds anything bad on my phone so I have no idea what's going on.

 

[SakuraKentasha]

Well, for one thing, you should worry about, is that it's a phishing app that is trying to steal your ID. Plus, it is just a scam. So, don't believe what they say in the comments below in those kinds of pop-ups. One thing you can do to prevent this problem from happening so many times, is clicking on clear website data and history in settings. If it's a website where you can watch movies, anime, and cartoons, and the pop-up keeps showing up again in that one particular website, then you should close it right away and find a different website that works in a similar way by searching key words in Google to find another website that works best. This problem happens to me many times. Mostly on the weekends. So, hope this helps.

 

[Jiburley]

I use the app scanner in ES File browser regularly. If an app has a permission I think it shouldn't need I uninstall it.

I used it earlier today and no apps were flagged as having undue permissions. I checked again after getting this pop-up and I have 57 apps with 29 permissions flagged as unwarranted. In other words something jacked into EVERYTHING, including some Google system apps.

It first hapened just after running uTorrent (free) for the first time, although I had just run AVABEL for the first time also. Like everyone else I'll try some security apps, but I think it's time for a factory reset.

I strongly suspect there is a vulnerability in Chrome and a web ad has exploited it.

 

[Morty2264]

Ignore all of these and never open anything "untrusted" like that. They are all scams. Not well versed in malware, but I think some pop ups, etc just happen - I get some sometimes. No need to worry lots, IMO.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ceyquem]

Ignore all of these and never open anything "untrusted" like that. They are all scams. Not well versed in malware, but I think some pop ups, etc just happen - I get some sometimes. No need to worry lots, IMO.

Posted via the Android Central App

I got the same problem, I think another smartphone got infected and after using its connection via wifi hotspot I got infected.

I think it injected a fake JavaScript file in chrome with a long time to live and this script superseded other JavaScript that some website have, displaying the annoying message and redirection.

Clearing browser cache fixed the problem and the other smartphone will need a factory reset.

 

[iquanyin]

you all use at&t, probably gophone. at&t addresses this and asks that youbforward these to them (they give the number to forward sucj popups to,also phone calls and texts).

 

[recDNA]

I still get these. Mine always start with congratulations verizon user you have won.... Often I cannot back out and must clear browser cache and data to get rid of it. Malwarebytes finds nothing. How do they even know I am a verizon user? I get them in really innocuous websites like today I got it in CNN. It seems like if I leave a website open long enough it usually pops up. Nobody ever found a cure?

 

[B-RONNIE]

I've also had this problem, uninstalled everything I thought might have been contributing, no luck. Tried antivirus apps you name them i tried them. Connected phone to computer and started deleting files from android folder like a mad man - Nothing! Deleted all browsing & data history etc. Did nothing.
I'm still in the running to win a new iphone!

What has worked - go to settings, applications, application manager, find chrome/open go to more and uninstall updates, should restore to default chrome settings. Update to latest version from app store and hopefully that works for you, if having the same problem. If not good luck.

 

[Lightdr]

Got this popup about 2 weeks ago on unrooted Note 4 . Use Firefox so uninstalled and reinstalled to latest version from Play Store. Appears to have cleared up problem and all is back to normal for now.

Apparently it comes in via your web browser. Has anybody had any luck keeping it out with ad blockers?

 

[recDNA]

Re: "Congratulations! You have won!" pop-ups? Should I worry?

I am using ad blocker free browser and it seems to keep them out. Malwarebytes rep told me these are not malware. Annoying but don't steal data or anything so they do nothing to block them.

I also disabled java

 

[MrGriff]

Re: "Congratulations! You have won!" pop-ups? Should I worry?

I had got the same thing on my phone.
I just remembered when I saw this pop up for the first time... It came when I clicked on a link on facebook. To deal with this pop up I just cleared my browser cache.
Now he seems to have disappeared.
Certainly a malicious Javascript code here !

 

[leftisthominid]

I just tried this. I restored Chrome to factory settings and then re-updated. Has the problem re-occurred for you yet?

 

[starvmarv]

All! I have been getting this same pop up out of the blue about 4 days ago.

Factory Reset did not work, as the pop up came up 10 mins after browsing the net.

I went as far as re-flashed my Sony Xperia Z5 device (A clean wipe of the ROM and a new OEM ROM from Sony installed from my computer) and i still get the blasted error (*Note that i got the error AFTER i logged back into my Google account)

Which got me thinking, maybe there is something in our Google accounts that is effecting us.

So i did another wipe, only this time, I did NOT log into my usually Google Account. I made a new one. It's been half a day and so far so good.

**If you just log out the Google Account and don't factory restore your device, it won't change anything as that malware file has been written down locally somewhere.

Try resetting the device, do NOT log back into your Google account.

 

[bobm153]

I tried the approach noted.
Went into apps for Chrome > deleted Updates
then Deleted Chrome
then powered off phone
turned it back on
reinstalled Chrome from the play store.
So far it's been clear of the pop-up (about 2 days)

 

[AntiMalwareFlames]

I think it is a javascript. It happened to my moms phone as well. She got an ad claiming her phone had malware. She was on WebMD, its a vulnerability in google chrome. If it constantly pesters you than clear the cache

 

[recDNA]

Anybody know if adblock plus prevents these annoying popups? I get them about once every week or two and they always make me feel sick.... like my phone is invaded and I cannot get rid of it. Clearing cache doesn't keep them from recurring. I visit no risky sites. N O N E. Never have. You cannot shut off Javascript in Sammy browser in Note 7.