If you are getting ads on your mobile that imply that your device has either been hacked, is infected or is being tracked, chances are that you are getting scammed by mobile VPN affiliates.
It’s a well-known fact that VPN companies often affiliate themselves with different marketers and websites, and offer them commission in exchange of promoting their product. How it works is that these affiliates will direct a user to the VPN’s site or product page, via some kind of embedded link. If the user ends up subscribing to one of the VPN packages, the concerned affiliate receives a commission.
Although the approach is meant to be harmless, there are countless affiliates who are using scammy techniques to persuade users into installing a VPN app, just to receive their commission.
These affiliates buy ad campaigns on low quality advertising networks. Due to this, users are redirected to scam sites while they are simply surfing the web.
The purpose of these ads is to somehow convince the user into purchasing a VPN subscription, to solve the problem they have encountered (after being redirected to the scam site).
According to BleepingComputer, there are three main approaches (device being hacked, infected or tracked) these VPN affiliates exploit with the help of ads.
Such ads are not new and have been around for at least a year. The surprising thing is that the VPN’s they are affiliated with, never seem to acknowledge them or their fraudulent use, and haven’t even issued a comment regarding this matter. It is hard to imagine that they are unaware of these ads, and it seems more like they are just ignoring them.
As for now, it is important for you to make sure that if you are redirected to a site that tells you that your device is infected, hacked or being tracked, you should simply close the page. If the page is unresponsive and not allowing you to close it, then close the browser, but make sure that you don’t spend any more time on such sites, to prevent getting into any trouble.
Read next: Facebook’s Dangerous Misuse of User Data Revealed
It’s a well-known fact that VPN companies often affiliate themselves with different marketers and websites, and offer them commission in exchange of promoting their product. How it works is that these affiliates will direct a user to the VPN’s site or product page, via some kind of embedded link. If the user ends up subscribing to one of the VPN packages, the concerned affiliate receives a commission.
Although the approach is meant to be harmless, there are countless affiliates who are using scammy techniques to persuade users into installing a VPN app, just to receive their commission.
These affiliates buy ad campaigns on low quality advertising networks. Due to this, users are redirected to scam sites while they are simply surfing the web.
The purpose of these ads is to somehow convince the user into purchasing a VPN subscription, to solve the problem they have encountered (after being redirected to the scam site).
According to BleepingComputer, there are three main approaches (device being hacked, infected or tracked) these VPN affiliates exploit with the help of ads.
Such ads are not new and have been around for at least a year. The surprising thing is that the VPN’s they are affiliated with, never seem to acknowledge them or their fraudulent use, and haven’t even issued a comment regarding this matter. It is hard to imagine that they are unaware of these ads, and it seems more like they are just ignoring them.
As for now, it is important for you to make sure that if you are redirected to a site that tells you that your device is infected, hacked or being tracked, you should simply close the page. If the page is unresponsive and not allowing you to close it, then close the browser, but make sure that you don’t spend any more time on such sites, to prevent getting into any trouble.
Read next: Facebook’s Dangerous Misuse of User Data Revealed
