Avoid being scammed by Getprizes deceptive websites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Getprizes?
Getprizes is a group of scam websites. Their behavior is varied, yet these sites are primarily designed to display deceptive content and/or generate redirects to other scam pages.
It has been noted that "Dear Chrome User, Congratulations!" and "Latest version of Adobe Flash Player" scams are commonly promoted by Getprizes web pages, however, it is possible that other untrusted or malicious websites can be accessed through Getprizes.
Typically, visitors to these web pages do not access them intentionally - they are redirected by intrusive advertisements or Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) already infiltrated into the system.
"Dear Chrome User, Congratulations!" is a scam employing the fake prize/award model. Schemes of this type usually work by announcing that visitors can win (or have won) prizes. For example, electronics from popular brands (Samsung, Apple, etc.), gift cards and vouchers (Amazon, Walmart, etc.), cash and so on.
Users might be presented with surveys - by completing them, they supposedly can win a gift or asked to spin a wheel-of-fortune and draw their prize that way.
The purpose of the scam differs - often to steal visitors' personal details (e.g. information relating to their identity, emails or social media accounts, online banking or credit card credentials, etc.), or to trick them into making monetary transactions (e.g. prize shipping or transaction fees, etc.) and others.
Once the requested tasks are made, however, users receive none of the promised rewards. "Latest version of Adobe Flash Player" scam uses the outdated/missing software model. These scams tend to directly state or imply that Flash Player is out of date or cannot be found, and immediate updates are thus recommended.
Fake updaters promoted by these web pages are often used to infiltrate untrustworthy content into systems (e.g. adware, browser hijackers and other PUAs) and/or infect it with malware (e.g. trojans, ransomware, etc.). To summarize, regardless of their mode of operation, all scam sites simply generate revenue for the scammers behind them.
Therefore, you are strongly advised not to visit or trust them, since they can lead to serious issues and endanger device and user safety.
As well as force-opening deceptive/Scam websites, PUAs can also cause redirects to other untrusted, rogue, sale-oriented, compromised and malicious web pages. This is not the only capability possessed by these unwanted applications. Software within this category can run intrusive ad campaigns.
They deliver various unwanted and harmful ads (e.g. pop-ups, surveys, banners, coupons, etc.). These significantly diminish the browsing experience by limiting browsing speed and site visibility. Furthermore, when intrusive ads are clicked, they can redirect to dangerous pages and stealthily download/install unwanted content (e.g. PUAs).
Other PUAs can hijack browsers by modifying and restricting/denying access to settings - this, to promote fake search engines. Most PUAs track data. They can monitor browsing activity (browsing and search engine histories) and collect personal information inferred from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).
This sensitive data is often shared with third parties, intent on misusing it for profit - potentially, by putting it to criminal use. Therefore, PUAs can cause browser and system infiltration/infections and lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft.
To protect device integrity and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.
| Name | Getprizes pop-up |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus. |
| Fake Claim | This scam claims that users have won prizes or that an essential piece of software is outdated (other variants are possible). |
| Detection Names (getprizes43[.]life) |
Kaspersky (Malware), Fortinet (Spam), Spamhaus (Spam), Full List (VirusTotal). |
| Serving IP Address (getprizes43[.]life) | 185.89.102.59 |
| Related Domains | Full list below. |
| Promoted Unwanted Application | These sites promote a variety of dubious content. |
| Symptoms | Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads. |
| Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information. |
| Malware Removal (Mac) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
There are countless deceptive sites on the internet - Vnbue, Stydbui and Sundayfunny are examples of other groups similar to Getprizes. As well as fake prizes/awards and outdated/missing software scams, other popular models include (but are not limited to) warnings that the system is infected or at risk, "incredible" offers and so on.
Their approach often differs slightly - they typically request users to take various actions to have the chance to receive some prize or other value (e.g. create an account, subscribe, beta-test, etc.). Scams usually employ social engineering and scare tactics - they encourage users into performing certain actions that generate revenue for the designers.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
PUAs can be downloaded/installed together twith other products. "Bundling" is the term used to describe this deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing normal software with unwanted or malicious additions.
Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. skipping steps and sections, using pre-set options, etc.) increases the risk of unintentionally allowing bundled content onto systems. Some PUAs have "official" download web pages, which are frequently promoted by deceptive/scam sites.
Intrusive advertisements proliferate these apps as well. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
You are advised to research all products to verify their legitimacy, before download/installation. Perform all downloads from official and verified sources. Untrustworthy download channels such as free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) and other third party downloaders can offer likewise suspect content.
Software should be updated using tools/functions provided by genuine developers, and not with third party updaters, which are high risk. When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, etc.
Intrusive ads tend to seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious sites (e.g. gambling, adult-dating, pornography and others). If you encounter these ads/redirects, check the system and immediately remove all dubious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins.
If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.
Appearance variant of the Getprizes scam - "Dear Chrome User, Congratulations!" (GIF):
Appearance of a Getprizes variant redirecting to "Latest version of Adobe Flash Player" scam (GIF):
Appearance of a variant of Getprizes redirecting to "Latest version of Adobe Flash Player" scam (GIF):
List of domains related to the Getprizes scam family:
- getprizes11[.]life
- getprizes26[.]life
- getprizes38[.]life
- getprizes43[.]life
- getprizes46[.]life
- getprizes47[.]life
- getprizes48[.]life
- getprizes49[.]life
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Quick menu:
- What is Getprizes pop-up?
- 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 macOS.
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 macOS) - 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.
Outstanding!
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