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Yet Again, Google Tricked Into Serving Scam Amazon Ads (zdnet.com)
Zack Whittaker, reporting for ZDNet: For hours on Thursday, the top Google search result for "Amazon" was pointed to a scam site. The bad ad appeared at the very top of the search result for anyone searching for the internet retail giant -- even above the legitimate search result for Amazon.com. Anyone who clicked on the ad was sent to a page that tried to trick the user into calling a number for fear that their computer was infected with malware -- and not sent to Amazon.com as they would have hoped.
The page presents itself as an official Apple or Windows support page, depending on the type of computer you're visiting the page from. An analysis of the webpage's code showed that anyone trying to dismiss the popup box on the page would likely trigger the browser expanding to full-screen, giving the appearance of ransomware. A one-off event would be forgivable. But this isn't the first time this has happened. It's at least the second time in two years that Google has served up a malicious ad under Amazon's name.
The page presents itself as an official Apple or Windows support page, depending on the type of computer you're visiting the page from. An analysis of the webpage's code showed that anyone trying to dismiss the popup box on the page would likely trigger the browser expanding to full-screen, giving the appearance of ransomware. A one-off event would be forgivable. But this isn't the first time this has happened. It's at least the second time in two years that Google has served up a malicious ad under Amazon's name.
If it loses them a few customers ... fine with me. The company responsible for destroying businesses that actually pay workers decently and don't abuse their warehouse workers -- I'm not going to shed a tear for them.
Bad karma yields bad results.
Advertising is by its very nature an intent to deceive for profit.
These are just more blatant than most.
...running an ad blocker was the smart move.
Just recently other sites I visit seemed to have a flood of full-screen popover ads, where I would see the main site for a few seconds while it loaded and then, BAM as the entire screen was filled with a warning about needing a virus scanner.
It seems like there's some kind of wave attack going on...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Do you trust the books your librarian gives you? Would you get mad at your librarian if you read "My Struggle" because it was misplaced in the magazine section? Learn to validate both the truth and legitimacy of the content you receive on the Internet. Its not Google, Facebook, Twitter, or any other companies job to think for you.
Google: we'll give you the safest phone in the world! Later that day... we don't know how to stop putting malware on our website
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-zmmOWKv60
... gets modern monoculture problems.
No news here.
Curiously enough, this is only due to both Google and Amazon being the only big players in their respective fields.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
I'll turn it off completely once this problem is dealt with. The prior sentence can also be read "I'm not turning off ad blocker, because they won't likely fix this within my lifetime".
There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
That actually raises an interesting thought... the powers that be seem to want to make the web browser the next operating system paradigm, so allowing this shit into the browser in the first place is at roughly the same level as allowing it into the host operating system.
Google and Amazon have been at each other's throats for the last few years. It wouldn't surprise me if Google helped or Amazon wanting to hurt Google commissioned something like this.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
Really. You get what you deserve running a browser without NoScript.
There will always be gullible voters and morons, God loves them and made many of them.
My problem is with the Supreme Court. Much of what we see going on now is because the Kangaroos decided that Corporations are people and that spending millions on elections is free speech. If I were going to collect scalps, I'd start with Thomas. I would personally behead him.
Google makes money from adverts whether the advert is just an advert or is spam, or malware. It really doesn't make any difference to google. I'd say that *you* are the one getting tricked if you believe what google says.
Did anyone see what sort of page appeared if using a Linux computer? I genuinely would like to know. I'm wondering if it just passed the user to Amazon, made a bad choice and presented a Windows or Apple page, presented some generic Linux warning, etc...
I haven't seen malware for many years ever since I put ad-blockers on each of my loved one's machines.
Who searches for Amazon ? Just type in amazon.com or amazon.ca or amazon.(insert your country code here).
You live and learn, or you don't learn much.
You pay google to associate some keyword with your website.
So someone pays to associate the keyword "amazon" with their shitty website.
How is that a trick? You are paying them, and they are providing the service offered.
It's not a scam.
From a Linux PC...
support.windows.com says:
Microsoft System Security Alert
Something went wrong with your Windows
Dear Windows User, the Website you have recently visited may have downloaded the Malware and Virus on your Windows system.
Malicious Spyware/Malware Detected
Error # 0x80072ee7
Please call us immediately at: 1-877-558-0555
Do not ignore this critical alert.
If you close this page, your computer access will be disabled to prevent further damage to our network.
Your Windows and Chrome has been locked untill we may hear from you to immediately fix this issue.The following information is being stolen...
> Financial Data
> Facebook Logins
> Credit Card Details
> Email Account Logins
> Photos stored on this computer
Please call us within the next 5 minutes to prevent your computer
I had that happen just this morning on a less well protected computer. Fun stuff.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Briefly yesterday, on a fresh install of Windows 10, Bing was sending people to the wrong avast website if you typed "avast" into the search. They fixed it pretty quickly.
Yes, because securing Android is EXACTLY the same as vetting everyone who uses a 3rd-party ad network.
If I were going to collect scalps, I'd start with Thomas. I would personally behead him.
Racist. Also threatening a federal judge.
See subject - As I stomped you into the dirt - "Elephant" by Tame Impala https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0jqPvpn3sY&list=PLVYj6LINdlnu05eu0Jt57eenI0Jm86G0X&index=6/ "Here he comes":
"Bet he feels like an elephant
Shaking his big grey trunk for the hell of it
You know that you're dreaming about being loved by him Too bad your chances are slim
And itâ(TM)s not like Mr. Shock
To get shy when I ask who always is on top?
There must be something deep down in the middle down there Heâ(TM)s not too easily scared
Heâ(TM)s got friends but they got the feeling
Wouldn't care too much if he just disappeared
Oh, look, see there he is now coming down the stairs!
(Here he comes)
He pulled the mirrors off his Cadillac (yeah)
âCause he doesnâ(TM)t like it looking like he looks back"
* :)
(Mirrors off now - last time I see fools like you, lol!)
APK
P.S.=> It's been TRULY amusing for me to see you go thru such 'gyrations' in vain vs. me - Enjoy the tune, it's excellent ... apk
I couldn't care less about page intrusions, content that's difficult to read, nonsense that I don't want to buy, or even scams in adverts. Those things have never been an issue for me as they're ignoble. I don't enjoy the privacy intrusions at all, that's some scary stuff, but that's not the biggest issue for me personally. The biggest problem with advertising on websites is the possibility of being served malicious adverts. I've got a lot of code on my machines and I've got a lot of NDA's for clients. I'm contractually bound to take every reasonable precaution to protect their property that either I myself directly or my company has developed for them. I'm bound by law to keep their information private and secure.
Ad blockers are just one of several efforts taken to reduce the risk and mitigate liability should anything ever get out that ought not be out. I've never had a virus on this network so far, nor any successful unwanted intrusion... though many attempts. Mostly bots from Russia or China but some from the USA.
I intend to keep it that way. Until the web advertising platforms are legitimately safe I'll continue to block adverts on all of my work machines and any personally used machine that even comes close to the work ones.
I do however frequently lament that so few of my clients are willing to use a Linux based platform but not half as much as I lament that most of my employees insist on using Windows.
There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
a textbook example of bigotry
Google: we'll give you the safest phone in the world! Later that day... we don't know how to stop putting malware on our website
You're assuming this wasn't intentional. Given the crap Amazon has been giving Google, maybe this was a demonstration of The Goog's massive power to redirect web traffic.