You Are Our Winner Today! POP-UP Scam

What is You Are Our Winner Today!?

"You Are Our Winner Today!" is a deceptive pop-up message displayed by various rogue sites. Research shows that, in most cases, users visit these sites inadvertently - they are redirected by various PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) and intrusive ads delivered by other sites.

Furthermore, potentially unwanted programs typically infiltrate systems without permission, deliver intrusive ads, and record sensitive information.

The "You Are Our Winner Today!" message states that the user is "Today's lucky visitor" and has a chance to win an iPhone X, Playstation 4, or Samsung Galaxy S8. The user must simply complete a survey of three questions. This is a scam. Criminals generate revenue by tricking users into completing various surveys.

Furthermore, after completing the survey, users are presented with a window stating that they have won. To claim the prize, the victim must enter personal data (name, surname, address, email address, etc.) Developers can then misuse this information, thereby causing serious privacy issues.

Therefore, ignore the "You Are Our Winner Today!" message and leave the site immediately. Some rogue sites use scripts that prevent users from closing their browsing tabs/windows.

In these cases, terminate the browser using Task Manager or simply reboot the system. After re-running the browser, do not restore the previous session, otherwise you will end up returning to the malicious site/s.

As mentioned above, potentially unwanted programs are designed to gather information. The list of collected data types typically includes (but it is not limited to) Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, website URLs visited, pages viewed, queries entered into search engines, and keystrokes.

This information also includes personal details that are shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who also misuse private data to generate revenue. Therefore, the presence of information-tracking apps can lead to identity theft. PUPs are also notorious for delivering intrusive advertisements.

To achieve this, developers employ tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site. Therefore, coupons, banners, pop-ups, and other delivered ads often conceal underlying website content, thereby significantly diminishing the browsing experience.

In addition, intrusive ads can lead to malicious sites and execute scripts that stealthily download and install malware. Therefore, even a single accidental click might result in high-risk computer infections. For these reasons, all PUPs must be eliminated immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	"You are our winner today!" virus
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Symptoms	Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of one's computer.
Distribution methods	Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

There are dozens of deceptive pop-ups similar to "You Are Our Winner Today!". For example, ERROR 268d3x8938, Microsoft Alert Your Data Is At High Risk, Attention Your Computer Has Been Infected, and Your Computer Might Be Infected By Trojans. 

The main difference is that, unlike "You Are Our Winner Today!", these messages do not offer any prizes. They claim that the system is damaged (e.g., infected, missing files, etc.) and encourages users to download a system repair/anti-spyware tool (in-app purchases) or contact fake 'tech support' (paid services).

In any case, all have an identical purpose - to generate revenue for the developers. All potentially unwanted programs are very similar.

By offering a wide range of "useful features", they attempt to give the impression of legitimacy, however, these programs are designed only to generate revenue for the developers. Rather than giving any real value for regular users, they cause unwanted redirects, gather sensitive information, and deliver intrusive ads, thereby posing a direct threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety.

How did potentially unwanted programs install on my computer?

Some PUPs have official download websites, however, due to the lack of knowledge and careless behavior of many users, PUPs often infiltrate systems without permission, since developers promote them using intrusive advertisements, and a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" (stealth installation of third party apps with regular software).

Developers do not properly disclose installation of "bundled" PUPs. They are hidden within various sections (typically "Custom/Advanced" settings) of the download/installation processes.

Furthermore, many users are very likely to click advertisements and skip download/installation steps - behavior that often leads to inadvertent installation of PUPs.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The key to computer safety is caution. Therefore, pay close attention when browsing the Internet and downloading/installing software.

Developers invest many resources into intrusive ad design, and thus most seem legitimate. Once clicked, however, they redirect to dubious websites (gambling, adult dating, pornography, and similar).

If you experience these redirects, immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins. Furthermore, select "Custom/Advanced" settings and carefully analyze each window of the download/installation dialogs.

Cancel offers to download/install third party apps and decline offers to download/install them. You are advised to avoid using third party download/installation tools, since developers monetize them by promoting PUPs (the "bundling" method).

Apps should be downloaded from official sources only, using direct download links. If your computer is already infected with PUPs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in "You Are Our Winner Today!" pop-up:

Google Membership Rewards
Congratulations Privax LTD User, your Desktop has won (1) gift from Google!
Every Monday we select 10 lucky Desktop users randomly (once a day), to receive a free gift (prize guaranteed!) from our sponsor - Privax LTD. This free gift is only for clients of Privax LTD! This is simply our way to thank you for continued support for our products and services (product name: Desktop).
You have been selected by Privax LTD to win a free gift of up to $1149 if you answer the next 3 questions correctly.
Note: ACT NOW! 8 Desktop users have received this invitation and there are only 2 prizes to be won.
You have 1 minute and 22 seconds to answer the following questions before we give the prizes to another lucky user! Good luck!

Page displayed after the user completes the survey:

The appearance of "You Are Our Winner Today!" pop-up (GIF):

Another variant ("Congratulations! device User!") of this pop-up scam:

Text presented within this scam:

Initial pop-up:

 

Congratulations! device user!
You are selected by Google to be among the first few persons to win a Apple iPhone 11 Pro or other Google prizes! This gift is exclusively for loyal users  in *****.

 

Website:

 

Congratulations! device User! Your IP has Won (1) Google Gift!
January 21
Every Tuesday we randomly select 10 lucky device users, once a day to receive a gift (Prize Guaranteed!) from Google. This gift is exclusively and ONLY for ******** users in ***** ! This is just our way to thank you for your continuous support of our product and services.

You have been selected to win a gift worth up to 1,159$ if you answer the next 4 questions correctly.

ACT NOW! 9 other users have received this invitation with only 5 prizes available to win.

You have a limited time to answer the questions before someone else takes over your spot. Good luck!

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▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is "You are our winner today!" virus?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

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