Report thread for mobile ads that redirect

http://curatemobile.go2cloud.org/aff_r?offer_id=1563&aff_id=15&url=https%3A%2F%2F174890.measurementapi.com%2Fserve%3Faction%3Dclick%26publisher_id%3D174890%26site_id%3D17688%26agency_id%3D608%26sub_publisher%3Dblueorcamob%26ios_ifa%3D%26ref_id%3D1027dd64ca484a13452a720c45dab6%26sub_placement%3Dbejeweled%26sub_site%3D13_62_c%26sub_campaign%3DDisplay-CurateMobile-Fetch_1_-99_US-national_R_iOS_ACQ_CPI_en_Ongoing%26sub_adgroup%3DA081_A603_C815550%26sub_ad%3D16039-MD-R-Photo-Q1-Refresh-Rd-2-US_Woman-1-WhyParkWhenYouCanRide_320x50%26my_placement%3DCA&urlauth=646705783874221839465557003966

Took me to AppStore's uber page

@LarkAnderson: http://thedailywinners.com, another one of those force redirect scams of same variety like the countless I mentioned, different format except it's now using Amazon assets to legitimize itself. Saved image of page if needed. Add it to your block list or whatever.

Thanks for the additional reports, everyone!

http://tracking.applift.com/aff_r?offer_id=20907&aff_id=4840&url=https%3A%2F%2F58150.measurementapi.com%2Fserve%3Faction%3Dclick%26publisher_id%3D58150%26site_id%3D102812%26ref_id%3D102a7231116630441b743629d228d5%26sub_publisher%3D4840%26ios_ifa%3D%26my_campaign%3DEpisode%2B%2528iPhone%252C%2BFree%252C%2BTier1%252C%2B96MB%252C%2Bw%252Fcapping%2529&urlauth=565876518335984642611928729305

@LarkAnderson: I'm getting really aggressive forced redirects I can't properly identify because it like double redirects me and I can't identify the first one from the site but I can say it ends on a nearly blank page with a button that says something like "get hottest android apps"; for like the dozenth time in last 24 hours, same ad.

@wemmick: just in case Lark isn't around anymore (hasn't posted in a while) can you look into this or refer a staff member to take control of sticky from here on?

just in case you need to be brought up to speed, the site has horrible problem with mobile browser getting force redirects out of the GS site and into harmful spam locations, sometimes pornographic content, and the Google Play store for random apps/games, Lark had us reporting "fire" when it happened and where and then take care of it, if you ask me we need some fresh blood to root out the cause, mainly the Google AdSense and other ad services being able to inject harmful scripts in their ads that cause this kind of thing, other sites don't cause this problem for me, just yours

Does any GameSpot staff still attend this thread? Sound off, please.

Hey, I just got redirected to a porn site, while browsing the off-topic boards on Firefox web browser 4.0 (iphone 5c, iOS 9.3.2). I didn't even click on anything.

It happened around 7:30AM, GMT+10, June 9th.
Do you want the screenshot or url? (probably not lol)

@SOedipus: If you don't mind...a screenshot and/or URL would be super helpful, however distasteful they may be. You can send them to community@gamespot.com and tell 'em I sent you.

You guys have gotten crazy last few weeks with mobile ads redirecting to Google Play store, it spams in threes, luckily it hasn't been redirecting browser page and I can return but still it takes me to the Play Store, I hit back, it takes me back again, I hit back and it takes me back one last time, again always in threes, and it happens in higher frequency (I got 15 redirects in 10 minutes yesterday) and it's not any one thing in store it's everything. ONLY FOR YOUR WEBSITE!!! ... jinx, and as I came here to write this got my first browser force redirect in weeks, is it too much to ask to get your shit together, hire more competent web development team, or switch your mobile ads source, or ask the mobile ad sources for support to figure out why their ads are aggressively interfering with site fuctionality? Seriously, it's getting to the point I don't feel safe coming here on my mobile because all the malicious code you all are passively complicit in allow through your site from your ad sources.

@lamprey263: I know it's a pain, but if you can give us any clues as to what you're seeing, it'd help us immensely (see the first post in this thread.) Super helpful are: screenshots, the landing page in the Play/App Store, the name of the product/service being advertised. Our ad networks try to prevent these, but sneaky advertisers seem to find ways to get them in sometimes, and the most effectively way for us to combat them is to be able to point them out to the network folks.

@wemmick: Words With Friends is the worst offender, any time that pops up it turns into two forced page visits to the Play Store just for it (on top of additional 2 other ads), second page pops up as ad for some kind of faster express edition of the game

@lamprey263: Thanks for the lead - we'll try to find it and squash it.

@wemmick: more Google Play store redirects - Trivago, Marvel Contest of Champions, Toy Blast

@wemmick: Google Play store redirect for Game of War - Fire Age

@lamprey263: Thanks again for all the reports - they are helping us narrow it down!

This is getting really bad, I've seen ad sites with less redirects and ad-pop ups than this.

@lamprey263: We think we have the auto-redirect stuff pretty much squashed - have you seen instances of this in the past couple of days?

They're baaaaaaack

@Blabadon: The following info would be super, super helpful for us in tracking them down:

• A screenshot of the ad

• The URL of the page the ad appeared on

• The date and time you saw the ad

• The product advertised

• The page or app that you were redirected to

If it happens again I will.

http://click.amazingmobi.com/?utm_term=19271090554&clickverify=1&utm_content=c3fbc0c6c0caac9ca2979195a6909593ba8bb8d7cbd3d0bdc7ddd4d4d0dedad0ee8bb830

I've also been asked to share my location with the GS website. I don't know if you guys do that or not cause it's the first time it's happened.

@Kruiz_Bathory: Thanks for the report - we'll get it stamped out!

Saturday morning, 10:03 am CST. Browsing System Wars forums.

http://rdir1j.s3.amazonaws.com/walmart/lp1/congratulation.html?brand=Apple&model=iPhone+&isp=Verizon+Wireless&city=Omaha&country=United+States&t=1471705337&externalid=wJEQ5ININRPBMN3VGURIB5OI&pubid=27a307fa-88fe-42bb-8955-6d7e1318bf1c&sxid=81nw3k7hldxn#

@Zassimick: Thanks for the info - we're on it!

@wemmick: Gratzi! Thanks for the update and for all of your work on this.

Whoops! I should have read the sticky first :/

I'll be sure to screen grab the next round of badly behaving ads.

What is GameSpot's method for blocking these? Is GameSpot workin with the company whose ads are being used on the site to clean up their list of ads?

It seems like GameSpot chose an ad vendor who is servicing potential malicious and offensive ads. Maybe it would be advised to change to a more trustworthy advertising software.

@Hvac0120: We are definitely working on this consistently. The issue is that it's not just one "advertising software" that can fix it - every ad network these days is a network of networks, so the advertisers may be several steps away from the network we work with directly, so stomping out the clowns running these malicious ads is not a trivial task. That said, we battle on! The more info y'all can provide, the easier it is for us to clean it up. Thanks!

@lamprey263: as with most days, my first visit to GameSpot.com/news resulted in a potentioisly malicious ad that I was auto-redirected.

The screenshot is posted on imgur at the following link:

http://i.imgur.com/9yEbCKv.jpg

@Hvac0120: Thanks for the report - we're on it!

I’m not sure what causes it but on my Android phone often while on the main page for system wars something opens up the play store and it’s always for various betting sites.

Thank you