Do not trust Congratulations Dear Amazon Customer and other scam sites

What is "Congratulations Dear Amazon Customer"?

This is a scam website disguised as an official Amazon page encouraging people to win various prizes by completing a survey. Amazon has nothing to do with this deceptive website and, therefore, it should not be trusted. Typically, scammers behind these sites attempt to trick people into providing information that could be misused to generate revenue in various ways.

These scam websites are opened by potentially unwanted apps (PUAs), which people unintentionally install on their browsers and/or operating systems.

"Congratulations Dear Amazon Customer" scam overview

Once opened, this web page displays a pop-up window stating that the visitor's IP address has been selected to receive a free iPhone 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy tab or Kindle Paperwhite. To receive the prize, various questions must be answered (by completing a survey).

Once this is done, the visitor is asked to choose one of the prizes and then provide more information (e.g., name, surname, email address, mobile number, and so on). Never provide websites of this type with any of your details. Generally, scammers behind them misuse the information to generate revenue.

People who complete surveys on deceptive web pages risk experiencing problems relating to browsing safety, privacy, or they might even become victims of identity theft.

As mentioned, these scam websites are often opened by browsers when PUAs are installed on them. These apps often gather details that the developers share with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse private information to generate revenue.

Typically, PUAs gather IP addresses, geolocations, addresses of opened pages, entered search queries, and so on. They sometimes also record sensitive details. PUAs can be designed to display advertisements. If clicked, these ads usually open dubious websites or run scripts that download and/or install unwanted software.

Examples of ads that PUAs usually display are coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, etc.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Congratulations Dear Amazon Customer" virus
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud.
Fake Claim	According to this scam, visitors can win various prizes by completing a survey.
Detection Names	BitDefender (Malware), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
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.

Similar scam examples

"Dear Chrome User, Congratulations!", "You've Made The 5-billionth Search" and "$1000 VISA Gift Card" are just some examples of other similar scam websites. They attempt to trick people into believing that they could win a prize if they answer various questions and provide information.

Furthermore, scammers often use the names of well-known companies to make their scams seem more convincing. PUAs that open these sites are advertised as useful and legitimate, however, once installed, they deliver no real value - they simply open dubious web pages, display ads, and gather browsing-related (and other) data.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Generally, people download and install PUAs unintentionally by clicking deceptive advertisements or by downloading/installing programs without checking settings included in the set-ups. To trick people into downloading and installing PUAs with other programs, developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling".

They include unwanted apps into the set-ups of other software and hide related information in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", etc. When people leave the aforementioned settings unchanged, PUAs receive permission to be downloaded and installed through various download/installation set-ups.

Deceptive ads cause unwanted download/installation only when they are clicked - they then execute scripts that cause unwanted downloads/installations.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Download all programs from official web pages and using direct download links. Other sources or tools such as unofficial pages, third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule, etc.) should not be used. Download and install software properly.

Check settings such as "Custom" and "Advanced" that are included in the setups. Decline offers to download or install unwanted software. It is not safe to click intrusive ads, especially on dubious web pages. These ads can redirect to other dubious, potentially malicious websites or cause unwanted downloads/installations.

Generally, unwanted redirects and intrusive ads are caused by PUAs that are installed on systems or browsers. Check for any unwanted extensions, add-ons, or plug-ins installed on the browser, and remove unwanted entries immediately. The same applies to programs of this kind that are installed on operating system/computer.

If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in "Congratulations Dear Amazon Customer" main pop-up:

Congratulations Dear Amazon Customer Your IP address has been selected to receive a FREE Apple iPhone 11 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab or a Kindle Paperwhite!
To receive your gift, simply answer our anonymous survey. But hurry up! There are only a limited number of gifts left for today!This special offer available today: December 6, 2019

Screenshot of the second page:

Text in this page:

Hello, tell us about your experience on Amazon.

Questions:

You are?
When was the last time you bought on Amazon ?
How would you rate your online shopping experience with Amazon ?
Do you have a subscription on Amazon Prime ?
Which device do you use most often when you shop online ?
Would you recommend Amazon to your friends?
What do you prefer in Amazon?
What is your age category ?
Are you satisfied with the Amazon service?

Screenshot of the third page:

Text in this page:

Hello, tell us about your experience on Amazon.
Thank you for completing the questionnaire!Due to extremely high demand, we have very few stock left.
Please choose only ONE (1) reward exclusive below.
Special offers for today ONLY : December 6, 2019

Screenshot of the fourth page:

Text in this page:

Thank you for your participation.While we submit your answers to the question, we are looking for our inventory to see products we can offer as a thank you for completing our survey.
45%

Screenshot of the fifth page:

Text in this page:

Congratulations Dear Amazon CustomerYour Apple iPhone 11 Pro has been reserved!.
Instructions to get your gift:

1. To receive your Apple iPhone 11 Pro, it is necessary to fill in your information on the next page.This special offer available today: December 6, 2019

The appearance of "Congratulations Dear Amazon Customer" pop-up (GIF):

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Quick menu:

• What is "Congratulations Dear Amazon Customer" 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are messages designed to lure visitors into performing certain actions, e.g., disclosing private information, making monetary transactions, downloading/installing and/or purchasing software, calling fake helplines, etc.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams aim to generate revenue for their designers. Scammers can profit by abusing or selling private data, obtaining funds through deception, promoting applications, spreading malware, and so on.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by a scam, what should I do?

If you have disclosed log-in credentials - immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support. And if you've revealed other private data (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) - contact the corresponding authorities without delay.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are promoted on various rogue webpages. Visitors typically enter them via redirects caused by sites using rogue advertising networks, spam browser notifications, mistyped URLs, intrusive advertisements, or installed adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect malicious ones (including those that endorse scams). Therefore, you will be warned immediately. Additionally, further access to such sites will be restricted.

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