Anybody else getting spam "heavy damaged Android"
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,042
Likes: 3,581
From: Central MO
Anybody else getting spam "heavy damaged Android"
Is anybody else with Android phones getting obnoxious pop-up messages on the Mobile site that lock up your screen?
The "Google" message says the Android system is heavily damaged and needs to be fixed, locks the screen, and then begins a countdown to begin repairing the system. I have to click to show multiple windows, then exit that window to get rid of it. Restarting the phone or clearing the memory and cache makes no difference.
This only happens on Internet Brands websites - F-150 Forum and Corvette Forum, with Corvette Forum being much more annoying with pop-up frequency.
It happened multiple times on both sites yesterday during the day, then stopped after about 7 pm. This happens with irregular frequency; I think it had been a couple of months since the last occurrence. Again, this has only occurred on Internet Brands Mobile sites, which leads me to deduce there is a Spam-bot lurking somewhere.
I usually just stop visiting the sites for a day. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't. I then suffer from Forum withdrawls!
Edit: Infuriatingly enough, I got the pop-up immediately after posting this thread.
The "Google" message says the Android system is heavily damaged and needs to be fixed, locks the screen, and then begins a countdown to begin repairing the system. I have to click to show multiple windows, then exit that window to get rid of it. Restarting the phone or clearing the memory and cache makes no difference.
This only happens on Internet Brands websites - F-150 Forum and Corvette Forum, with Corvette Forum being much more annoying with pop-up frequency.
It happened multiple times on both sites yesterday during the day, then stopped after about 7 pm. This happens with irregular frequency; I think it had been a couple of months since the last occurrence. Again, this has only occurred on Internet Brands Mobile sites, which leads me to deduce there is a Spam-bot lurking somewhere.
I usually just stop visiting the sites for a day. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't. I then suffer from Forum withdrawls!
Edit: Infuriatingly enough, I got the pop-up immediately after posting this thread.
Last edited by BadAV; Dec 15, 2017 at 09:07 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 842
Likes: 195
From: Binghamton, NY
I have been getting the same pop up ad for months. Sometimes I could browse the forum for a few minutes, sometimes the ' your Android phone is infected ' ad would pop up in a very short time.
I installed Apus browser off the Google Play store. Although it fixed the issue, that particular app has it's own set of pop up ads that are really annoying. It tries to sell you every under the sun.
I installed Apus browser off the Google Play store. Although it fixed the issue, that particular app has it's own set of pop up ads that are really annoying. It tries to sell you every under the sun.
Thread Starter
Race Director
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From: Central MO
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Le Mans Master
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From: Currently somewhere in IL,IN,KY,TN,MO,AR,MS,AL, or FL
Apple software is designed for children. But, a phone is not much more than a toy so I'll take an IPhone any day. They don't have problems like this.
Your issue is caused by Internet Brands not caring much who they sell ads to as long as they get paid. And Apple is the only phone company that spends much on preventing such issues. Since IPhones are much harder to get into, spammers/hackers spend more time and effort writing for Android and others. In the olden days it was Microsoft that attracted the attention because there were fewer Apple computers.
Your issue is caused by Internet Brands not caring much who they sell ads to as long as they get paid. And Apple is the only phone company that spends much on preventing such issues. Since IPhones are much harder to get into, spammers/hackers spend more time and effort writing for Android and others. In the olden days it was Microsoft that attracted the attention because there were fewer Apple computers.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 6,251
Likes: 113
From: Texas
Is anybody else with Android phones getting obnoxious pop-up messages on the Mobile site that lock up your screen?
The "Google" message says the Android system is heavily damaged and needs to be fixed, locks the screen, and then begins a countdown to begin repairing the system. I have to click to show multiple windows, then exit that window to get rid of it. Restarting the phone or clearing the memory and cache makes no difference.
This only happens on Internet Brands websites - F-150 Forum and Corvette Forum, with Corvette Forum being much more annoying with pop-up frequency.
It happened multiple times on both sites yesterday during the day, then stopped after about 7 pm. This happens with irregular frequency; I think it had been a couple of months since the last occurrence. Again, this has only occurred on Internet Brands Mobile sites, which leads me to deduce there is a Spam-bot lurking somewhere.
I usually just stop visiting the sites for a day. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't. I then suffer from Forum withdrawls!
Edit: Infuriatingly enough, I got the pop-up immediately after posting this thread.
The "Google" message says the Android system is heavily damaged and needs to be fixed, locks the screen, and then begins a countdown to begin repairing the system. I have to click to show multiple windows, then exit that window to get rid of it. Restarting the phone or clearing the memory and cache makes no difference.
This only happens on Internet Brands websites - F-150 Forum and Corvette Forum, with Corvette Forum being much more annoying with pop-up frequency.
It happened multiple times on both sites yesterday during the day, then stopped after about 7 pm. This happens with irregular frequency; I think it had been a couple of months since the last occurrence. Again, this has only occurred on Internet Brands Mobile sites, which leads me to deduce there is a Spam-bot lurking somewhere.
I usually just stop visiting the sites for a day. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't. I then suffer from Forum withdrawls!
Edit: Infuriatingly enough, I got the pop-up immediately after posting this thread.
Le Mans Master
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From: Left Coast, San Diego
Race Director
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From: Phoenix area, AZ
Last edited by Corvette_Ed; Dec 15, 2017 at 11:10 AM.
IB Staff
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,578
Likes: 4
It doesn't only occur on CF or only Internet Brands sites. There's millions of other sites out there that probably haven't been visited to actually conclude that.
It is an issue that occurs in the advertising. I've linked this article before, but it shows that even Google has to pull ads out of the pool for different types of bad ads in the network:
https://blog.google/topics/ads/how-w...scammers-2016/
That is basically what the issue is here. IB pulls the bad ad when it's found, which is in part based on reports as found in this thread.
There's a plugin in beta for Chrome users that can be used to help with this issue for both mobile or desktop:
Enter the following URL in the address bar:
chrome://flags/#enable-framebusting-needs-sameorigin-or-usergesture
Then enable the highlighted option.
It is an issue that occurs in the advertising. I've linked this article before, but it shows that even Google has to pull ads out of the pool for different types of bad ads in the network:
https://blog.google/topics/ads/how-w...scammers-2016/
That is basically what the issue is here. IB pulls the bad ad when it's found, which is in part based on reports as found in this thread.
There's a plugin in beta for Chrome users that can be used to help with this issue for both mobile or desktop:
Enter the following URL in the address bar:
chrome://flags/#enable-framebusting-needs-sameorigin-or-usergesture
Then enable the highlighted option.
Is anybody else with Android phones getting obnoxious pop-up messages on the Mobile site that lock up your screen?
The "Google" message says the Android system is heavily damaged and needs to be fixed, locks the screen, and then begins a countdown to begin repairing the system. I have to click to show multiple windows, then exit that window to get rid of it. Restarting the phone or clearing the memory and cache makes no difference.
This only happens on Internet Brands websites - F-150 Forum and Corvette Forum, with Corvette Forum being much more annoying with pop-up frequency.
It happened multiple times on both sites yesterday during the day, then stopped after about 7 pm. This happens with irregular frequency; I think it had been a couple of months since the last occurrence. Again, this has only occurred on Internet Brands Mobile sites, which leads me to deduce there is a Spam-bot lurking somewhere.
I usually just stop visiting the sites for a day. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't. I then suffer from Forum withdrawls!
Edit: Infuriatingly enough, I got the pop-up immediately after posting this thread.
The "Google" message says the Android system is heavily damaged and needs to be fixed, locks the screen, and then begins a countdown to begin repairing the system. I have to click to show multiple windows, then exit that window to get rid of it. Restarting the phone or clearing the memory and cache makes no difference.
This only happens on Internet Brands websites - F-150 Forum and Corvette Forum, with Corvette Forum being much more annoying with pop-up frequency.
It happened multiple times on both sites yesterday during the day, then stopped after about 7 pm. This happens with irregular frequency; I think it had been a couple of months since the last occurrence. Again, this has only occurred on Internet Brands Mobile sites, which leads me to deduce there is a Spam-bot lurking somewhere.
I usually just stop visiting the sites for a day. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't. I then suffer from Forum withdrawls!
Edit: Infuriatingly enough, I got the pop-up immediately after posting this thread.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,042
Likes: 3,581
From: Central MO
It's back again today. Same ad on Corvette Forum and F150forum. Something about "Lebotomizing". Cleared history and cache to no effect. Popping up/over every single time I visit both sites. No issues on any other website.
IB Staff
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10,578
Likes: 4