Stop. The. Pop-ups.

by **Gagium** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:25 pm

I’ve noticed today that on the mobile website version of NationStates, mainly on the region page, pop-up windows saying “Congrats, you’ve won a free gift card” etc. etc. keep appearing literally every time I try to do anything. These pop-ups force you to go to their website, where it’ll forcibly prevent you from going back, or refreshing the page, when they’ll just re-appear a mere seconds later.

How the heck do I disable these? I’m confused and disappointed about these pop-ups, seeing how they’ve made browsing NS nearly impossible all of a sudden. I understand that NationStates needs money for its servers, but the pop-up redirects are just incredibly annoying and obscure.

by **Ausinia** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:27 pm

Interesting, I’m mobile browser and I don’t get these.

by **Likar** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:28 pm

I get these all the time. Its pissing me off, same message "You won a 100$ (insert company giftcard)! Answer this quick quiz to get your card!"

free-market · by **VoVoDoCo** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:30 pm

That's not really a NationStates advertising issue. For me, it doesn't matter what site I'm on. It'll pop up. It's usually not as bad as you're describing, but I don't think NS can really do anything to stop them. All I know is some scam artists seem to hit certain areas more than others.

But I don't know.

by **Ransium** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:37 pm

VoVoDoCo wrote:That's not really a NationStates advertising issue. For me, it doesn't matter what site I'm on. It'll pop up. It's usually not as bad as you're describing, but I don't think NS can really do anything to stop them. All I know is some scam artists seem to hit certain areas more than others.

But I don't know.

You, my friend, have malware. If I had to guess all of you do and the pop-ups are originating from that rather than NS.

by **[violet]** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:59 pm

There should definitely be no pop-ups on NS. If you experience them on multiple websites, it's probably malware on your device, but if you only see them here, it is possible that a bad ad snuck onto our provider's ad network. In that case, please post a screenshot and/or the URL that you're taken to so we can have it removed!

by **Likar** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:59 pm

[violet] wrote:There should definitely be no pop-ups on NS. If you experience them on multiple websites, it's probably malware on your device, but if you only see them here, it is possible that a bad ad snuck onto our provider's ad network. In that case, please post a screenshot and/or the URL that you're taken to so we can have it removed!

Sure can do!

by **Gagium** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:05 pm

[violet] wrote:There should definitely be no pop-ups on NS. If you experience them on multiple websites, it's probably malware on your device, but if you only see them here, it is possible that a bad ad snuck onto our provider's ad network. In that case, please post a screenshot and/or the URL that you're taken to so we can have it removed!

Thank you! I’ve only encountered them so far on NationStates, though I’m not sure whether it’s malware (I don’t see how it could be, as I’m on an iPad and haven’t downloaded anything) and I just haven’t seen any on other websites yet. Here’s a screenshot of one of the pop-ups:

https://prnt.sc/lrsmxs

by **[violet]** » Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:18 pm

That's helpful, thanks. I've reported it.

by **Ballpit** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:46 pm

Please forgive me if this is considered grave-digging, but I have come across another pop-up that says: “congratulations on winning [insert impossible prize here]”

If NS admin has a way to block it, or blacklist it, here is the website link.

https://bestgiftbasketslosangeles.ooo/d ... 215610102#

Note: do not be disappointed when you don’t win that $1,000 WALMART card or that IPhone X. It’s a SCAM.

by **Borovan entered the region as he** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:50 pm

Ballpit wrote:Please forgive me if this is considered grave-digging, but I have come across another pop-up that says: “congratulations on winning [insert impossible prize here]”

If NS admin has a way to block it, or blacklist it, here is the website link.

https://bestgiftbasketslosangeles.ooo/d ... 215610102#

Note: do not be disappointed when you don’t win that $1,000 WALMART card or that IPhone X. It’s a SCAM.

Gravedigging? It's not gravedigging when you're replying to a topic just yesterday the last time it's active.

Also don't know how iPhones get malware I got occasionally pop ups but I don't update my software

by **Ballpit** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:53 pm

Borovan entered the region as he wrote:
Ballpit wrote:Please forgive me if this is considered grave-digging, but I have come across another pop-up that says: “congratulations on winning [insert impossible prize here]”

If NS admin has a way to block it, or blacklist it, here is the website link.

https://bestgiftbasketslosangeles.ooo/d ... 215610102#

Note: do not be disappointed when you don’t win that $1,000 WALMART card or that IPhone X. It’s a SCAM.

Gravedigging? It's not gravedigging when you're replying to a topic just yesterday the last time it's active.

Also don't know how iPhones get malware I got occasionally pop ups but I don't update my software

Lol. I’m such a noob. I was looking at the poster’s FOUNDED dates and confused that for the last post. Lmao how did I miss this :lol2:

by **[violet]** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 9:44 pm

Thanks, URLs are helpful.

by **Neop** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 9:59 pm

Ransium wrote:
VoVoDoCo wrote:That's not really a NationStates advertising issue. For me, it doesn't matter what site I'm on. It'll pop up. It's usually not as bad as you're describing, but I don't think NS can really do anything to stop them. All I know is some scam artists seem to hit certain areas more than others.

But I don't know.

You, my friend, have malware. If I had to guess all of you do and the pop-ups are originating from that rather than NS.

I haven't seen these ads on NS (I only browse the site via PC most of the time) but I have experienced these types of ads on mobile- typically, they only appear when browsing specific websites, and from what I can tell both of those websites in my case have their ads served by Google.

by **Wunderstrafanstalt** » Fri Dec 07, 2018 10:56 pm

Yeah, I think it's definitely a malware because I used to get it regularly on NS for months. Once I switched my cheap, data-stealing made-in-China phone to a more secure one, it completely disappeared.

Curious on why the ads struck many NS-ers in particular, though.

by **Kuriko** » Sat Dec 08, 2018 7:21 am

If it helps in any way, shape, or form [v]. I have Post-Master General on my nation, so I don't get these pop-up at all. But as soon as I log into a puppet without Post-Master General I get hit by them hard. Another place it happens a lot for me is on the 10ki proboards forum, but nowhere else besides these two sites.

by **Gagium** » Sat Dec 08, 2018 8:16 pm

Seems like I’ve stopped getting .ooo earlier, but am now getting increasingly annoying .desi ones (Still seems to be only targeted towards NationStates).

https://prnt.sc/lsk69i
https://giftcenterbluestacks.desi/001fc ... t&trackid=

EDIT: They seem to be linked to certain buttons as well. For example, when I try to like a post on the RMB, it will instead forcibly redirect me to their website instead of liking the post, etc.

EDIT 2: Finslly got a pop-up on a website other than NationStates, meaning it’s probably an issue on my part...Got an ad-blocker that seems to be working so far

by **[violet]** » Sun Dec 09, 2018 12:47 pm

Thanks for the info. I'm speaking with our ad service provider to identify whether these are coming from our side, and if so, how we can block them.

by **Likar** » Sun Dec 09, 2018 1:09 pm

Hope you can fix it. I still keep occasionally getting them, but a lot less now.

by **Ballpit** » Sun Dec 09, 2018 3:35 pm

[violet] wrote:Thanks for the info. I'm speaking with our ad service provider to identify whether these are coming from our side, and if so, how we can block them.

Glad to hear it. I have been experimenting and NS is the only site that it occurs on. I was actually interrupted by it while typing this. But it’s good to know admin is on the case. Cheers!

by **Volcanai** » Sun Dec 09, 2018 7:02 pm

These free gift popup ads are also happening to me on NS.

https://rewardcentervirusiphone.desi/1ef48c2bfbd17f482efbfcc4cfd60267/index.html?isp=Charter%20Communications&trackid=20181210020233779#

by **[violet]** » Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:38 pm

Our ad server has disabled what they think is the source, so please let me know if you see any more of these from now on.

by **Ballpit** » Tue Dec 11, 2018 6:42 am

[violet] wrote:Our ad server has disabled what they think is the source, so please let me know if you see any more of these from now on.

That seems to have done the trick! Thank you!

by **[violet]** » Tue Dec 11, 2018 3:00 pm

Good to hear. Thanks for the feedback!

by **LiberNovusAmericae** » Sun Dec 30, 2018 8:33 am

I just received a pop-up on my phone.

Stop. The. Pop-ups.

Stop. The. Pop-ups.

Another pop-up

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