We occasionally get reports of ads that trigger antivirus warnings or infect computers that are browsing the wiki. This FAQ is an attempt to consolidate all the information about such things into one thread. Please read the below before reporting any incidents.
This thread may also be used to report ads that violate our policies in other ways, such as being too "adult" or NSFW, automatically playing audio/video, etc.
REPORTING: try to get a screenshot of the console as well as this will help identify where it's coming from.
REDIRECTS: Its very tricky to get the first URL of a redirect trigger because they are designed to hide where it came from. So you need a redirect plug-in
active while the redirect happens so you can find the first URL, not the last. Where you were directed to doesn't help track down the source.
- TV Tropes, as a site, does not contain malware. We are a text-and-image wiki; viruses and malware cannot be uploaded to or embedded in the articles. As always, however, beware of any external link that you don't recognize, since we cannot automatically screen edits or posts for malicious links.
- 99.99% of the time, any suspected malware will be related to the wiki advertising.
- TV Tropes does not directly control the ads that are displayed. We use third-party ad providers and we determine things like the size and placement.
- We instruct our providers not to serve ads that redirect your browser, take control of the screen from you, forcibly scroll your screen, play audio without being clicked on, install malware, "pop up" or "pop over" your screen, or in any other way interfere with your browsing experience.
- We have custom software designed to detect ads that do these things and automatically block them.
- Malicious entities are constantly trying to sneak ads through the providers' networks in violation of these instructions. As providers have little incentive to proactively detect and block them, it's up to websites to report these sorts of problems.
- We rely on our users to report ads that get through these measures.
- Just because you see a particular ad doesn't mean everyone else sees it. Ads are customized by the ad providers to your location (by IP address), the content of the page you're viewing, and your browsing profile, which is tracking data accumulated by third parties over the course of all your internet browsing.
- Just because you get a malware warning or infection that seems related to an ad on TV Tropes does not necessarily mean that it is caused by one of our ads. Pre-existing malware on your computer can intercept ads and replace them with malicious ones.
- Ads containing malware, obviously.
- Misbehaving ads, such as ones that load a pop-up or pop-under, redirect your browser to another page, hijack your screen or automatically scroll it.
- "Adult" or NSFW ads. Scantily clad women alone may or may not qualify, depending on context, but we want this site to be work-safe.
- Ads that automatically play audio — that is, the audio starts without you clicking on the ad first. Video ads are acceptable.
- Note: Political content is not grounds for rejecting an ad. However, an ad that contains or implies hate speech, disinformation, or outright falsehoods may be objectionable enough to be blocked.
- First and foremost, maintain current, updated antivirus software, and keep your operating system and browser up to date with all patches offered by the software vendors. This includes Adobe Flash, Java, and other rich media plug-ins. Turn on your software's automatic updates if they are not already on and act immediately when prompted to install them.
- Never click on pop-ups purporting to have detected a virus, offering to "tune up" your PC, or otherwise inducing you to click on a link that you were not expecting. Any genuine message of this nature would come from your antivirus software and not from a web page.
- Be careful clicking on external links. These are identified with a small icon next to them. Example: Google. TV Tropes does not endorse or control the content of external links and you open them at your own risk.
- Never respond to any email or web page that asks for personal or financial information, including passwords, unless you have verified its identity. No reputable company will ever ask you for your password(s), other than to log in.
- You may choose to opt out of having tracking information collected by ad providers. This does not stop malware but helps you maintain your online privacy. See here for additional information.
- TV Tropes requests that you do not use ad blocking software while visiting us, as this site depends on advertising revenue to operate. If you do run an ad blocker, please add tvtropes.org to its exception list, or consider donating to the site to have certain ads removed.
- We (or the ad provider) place a "Report advertisement" link next to most advertising frames. Clicking on this will generate an automatic report and is the best way to do so. If you cannot click on this link or do not see it, continue for more advice.
- Try to identify the source URL of the suspect ad (see below). You can also use the target URL (if you are redirected), but note that this may be intentionally obfuscated by the ad provider to hide the source.
- Identify the ad provider. Some ads have a small area that links to the ad provider's page (like Google or AOL). In other cases, you can tell from the referral URL or you can look it up in a search.
- Go to the ad provider's contact/abuse page and fill out their form. Below are some links to common providers' abuse pages:
- Scan your computer for viruses. If your antivirus software will not operate (many malicious programs attempt to disable your antivirus software), you can download a scanning tool on a known clean system and run it on your infected machine from a read-only CD-R or flash drive.
- If you suspect that you've been tricked into divulging personal information to a phishing attempt or other fraud, change your passwords to affected sites immediately and contact your bank, credit card companies, and the credit bureaus to request a fraud alert.
- Please note that TV Tropes cannot assist you with the specifics of maintaining your computer. That's your responsibility. You may request general help in the appropriate forums, but please don't post new threads in the forums dedicated to wiki operation (Wiki Talk, Frequently Asked Questions, etc.).
- Sometimes, the wiki administration can get better results from the ad providers in dealing with malicious ads. If you can identify a malicious ad by referral URL, you can post the link in this thread, but please omit the "http" component so it doesn't create a hyperlink that someone might click on inadvertently.
- For image ads, right-clicking (or a long tap on mobile devices) should give you the option to view and copy the URL that clicking on it will send you to.
- For Flash, Java, or HTML 5.0 ads, it may be difficult to identify the source or the URL by right-clicking. In these cases, you need to view the page source to identify the ad so we can report it.
- In Internet Explorer, you can right-click in a blank or text area of any web page, and choose View Source from the context menu. Firefox also has this option. In Chrome, you can use the Inspect Element menu option, which interactively highlights the portion of the page whose code you are hovering over. You can use this to identify the ad frame and its source URL.
- For embedded ads, there will be a "frame" element with a "src" parameter. Drill down until you get to the lowest level. All we need to identify the ad is the "src" URL from that frame.
for more information or to discuss the service.
Edited by kory on Nov 15th 2023 at 10:36:27 AM
Got sent to this site while looking st FanficRecs.Steven Universe's history page:
Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
I exist?
Got this - youwellgoodfast.com/landers/us1/USA%20EN-iphoneX/index.html# - while on Say Your Prayers. Based on the back button I seem to have been directed to this site, or similar ones, several times before hitting this one.
On iPad (right now, perhaps other devices but I don’t know), a ski independent ad automatically opens its website whenever you go to a page where the ad is on. Since obviously you don’t know that the page is going to have the ad, it’s unavoidable (you’ll click to go to a page, for me it was Recap.Philip K Dicks Electric Dreams, and if the ad loading on that page is Ski Independence then a new tab opens and loads the company website. This is not safe, and it’s also annoying.
OH MY GOD; MY PARENTS ARE GARDENIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!
Basically canon
Got redirected to http://congratulations.win-taken.xyz/click/71137138/index.html?syn=257&ver=56&cc=US&td=open.trustclick.pro&ep2=1&sr=1&model=iPhone&brand=Apple&city=Garland&salt=Jgn95y3&voluumdata=deprecated&eda=deprecated&cep=b_4CB0CgmSZRnUiz8gyC5AycbMaMWSxgKPg_rQX23_T8vavtK7i0eEjVzmsJMCPeuQeF3kizf5Jhy1N5jXvY-0ZBWQZ4uBprS4A-s8JeTmXgnKIJvAroswQhm70NyfsFcaX4wUSX4yD-dEmUWxmW5MAa2hhwf_sEsoNvwv_qHoZOWwKLVQ01JOmpjGA83AXnoID3JNtQKUquaf7Xy_xpXkFnXdTk3hSSXrWezB2aMTivKyY-XiybIy_eS3pijuOPV4-4LUislp6NcaX1zUzo-tyj8BdynvRejK59l2vrP4E&site=d10epv46tvtropes-org&clickid=1527017184mb40029624421&n=10&tb=1# on Yack Fest. This is why people use ad blockers...
pearlina brainrot affects millions of people worldwide. if you or a loved one are suffering from pearlina brainrot, call 1-800-GAY-NERDS
Bonnie's Artistic Cousin
Another one from the Launch Pad.
Current Project: The Team
Going to https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/TheCryingGame I was forwarded to a page claiming my computer was infested by viruses (it wasn't, unless I clicked on anything in that page.)
Was looking for a link, looked up at my tabs and found the tab with WesternAnimation.Thunder Cats Roar's history page was replaced with this: https://youwellgoodfast.com/landers/us1/USA%20EN-iphoneX/index.html#
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Got the same on our Order Of The Stick forum thread. Landed on this page:
http://safety.microsoft.com.wzjsyz.haccwoobrehughpp.bid/ow/en/index.php
and my history also shows this one:
https://adswebgiant.com/click?node=3&time=1527042960&id=135&pid=67&fid=67&sid=13619&rank=0&ad=eyJ0aXRsZSI6IiIsInVybCI6IiJ9
edited 22nd May '18 7:39:13 PM by Yinyang107
Bonnie's Artistic Cousin
Again on the TLP.
https://youwellgoodfast.com/landers/us1/USA%20EN-iphoneX/index.html#
"Yo Smithy!"
Was on Good Adultery, Bad Adultery page history and
http://trackonlinereward.com/index999.php?A=&B=&C=&D=&E=999111&F=&G=&H=0.001
"Come on! Let's get this show on the road."
a collection of small trees
Twice in the same hour, I got redirected from my watched thread list. Both times, it was a "Congratulations" site.
I'm up for joining Discord servers! PM me if you know any good ones!
NaNo 4328 / 50,000
https://d2bqvm6ajgzddu.cloudfront.net/fgf87HV?eid=rubicon&pid=tvtropes.org&SgQA4vTM=403995857449#
Auto-redirected onto this page. It has a continue button, suggesting it leads to more malicious content (I hadn't checked).
https://play.leadzuaf.com/?m=0EPVJG500706&offer_key=500706&a=tvtropes-org.1528977752606qjj94xfpnrf&pubid=tvtropes-org&d=tvtropes.org
Opened my Kindle to find that the page redirected in sleep mode. It's the congratulations Amazon scam, for those wondering.
Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
That's right, boys. Mondo cool.
I just got three malicious "Congratulations" popups in the space of a few minutes when I was in the forums. This only happens when I'm browsing on mobile, but it's been happening for at least a year now. Until today it only happened once per site visit, at most, but just now it happened three times.
Fear me
Never mind, it was something else.
Edited by Chabal2 on Jul 3rd 2018 at 11:26:30 AM
Just an average Rider
Got redirected to more Facebook and Amazon scam pages as I was browsing various pages. Even when I halted the page loading it still redirected during my Android sleep mode.
Specifically: http://ad.t78.net/newip7c/index.php?s1=g2mobi_US&pubid=a&bid=35cc5d90f44adb46e7f3e2b858611871#valid
And
Edited by roman55 on Jul 9th 2018 at 12:00:18 PM
Ask your parents for permission before you go home and be a family man.
When I was looking at the Adaptational Modesty page I was suddenly redirected to https://gh2fw7j.usthc.today/?sov=508724193&hid=hjzjxxlplppjn&&cntrl=00000&pid=10791&redid=35817&gsid=68&campaign_id=29&p_id=10791&id=XNSX.c699bhea4c8373y61c-r35817-t68&impid=29c6b68a-8384-11e8-ab4c-fa245441bcee
When I tried to use this url again just now, it was blocked by Norton as a dangerous website. Do we have any idea what ad triggered this?
I keep getting redirected to this page
http://us.hyet.date/amz_orgn/amz.html?city=Georgetown&model=iPhone&brand=Apple&browser=Mobile%20Safari&os=IOS&ip=174.97.198.33&isp=Time%20Warner%20Cable%20Internet%20Llc&osversion=IOS%2011.4&browserversion=Mobile%20Safari%2011&cep=OQ3SDXyfNXpxNWP1ABkIzmIxZ3rWShbpey1dsIf1kIY0tcUOqRrZk5YhjQaZF7fvKM1VgeTP6Qw04kijEKqYuEAnYTBFYfHGtylM1PL8EvxjOYnMLA_JpXRRdBs7JPebkzbB-aTewoKLIkHiyzPimxM9mNqJHXtDLT8equQCaJOBrm6Dj5BXm9Src0-T4vU-hy1Sqzcxezw-zcpyABy74g&var1=tvtropes.org
Edit:
Here’s another one http://1lv8j7p86b.pw/PPP/ggamz619/a11ckasf.php?model=&osversion=
Edited by doggieboy9 on Jul 18th 2018 at 9:20:09 AM
I've been redirected to this URL (or thereabout) three times in the last five minutes, from the pages Moral Myopia, Protagonist-Centered Morality and the page with information how to report Malware, ironically enough. And I remember being redirected to that page lots of times before. Multiple scans w ith Malware Bytes revealed nada and I'd just wiped my browser memory, so it can't be that.
https://eu.giftmoney.top/de_google_iphone7_ssl/index.html?trackid=201807182237571571
Edited by Malloon on Jul 18th 2018 at 3:48:20 AM
On mobile, get redirected to jfbhldvapb.pw/PPP/ggamz619/a11ckasf.php?model=&osversion= (google user giveaway scam) every time I try to view anything. This pops up so often that it makes tvtropes completely unusable on mobile.
Edited by Mai_Sentry on Jul 18th 2018 at 1:34:28 PM
now @ worldwidewoomy
Oh god.
Got this one when reading the ‘Our avatars are in a room together’ thread:
http://jfbhldvapb.pw/PPP/ggamz619/a11ckasf.php?model=&osversion=
Edit: ...and again, on this very thread (it’s actually the same link)
Second edit:....and on Horrible/Advertising too, ironically.
Edited by GalacticDriftwood on Apr 12th 2019 at 8:31:41 AM
flag edit: nonbinary flag but Luigi
Keeps following me regardless of platform.
This account is dead. I’ve said a lot of dumb things in the past and I wish to forget them. I’m sorry if I’ve ever hurt anyone.
Guh. We’re dealing with those ads again. I’ve gotten the same as , but only just now. Earlier today the site was fine.
Why is it always mobile though?
Edited by SuperFrost on Jul 19th 2018 at 1:04:33 AM
Found this redirect virus link happened on the Gotham Thread forum page:
http://safety.apple.com.kghpi.homhnvl2mxuusbn4.trade/o/en/index.php?browser=Safari&fred=1&app=Advanced%20MacCleaner&hul=rs.uganszbp.host&voluumdata=deprecated&eda=deprecated&cep=J3AnaKm9L9MCJLOI5u--pnr0ve0Nvmu_4669C6HZLDwPnMG4oiL-Xy5nzfniWJXpbuizky3Vp-2KmzWXygxvIzX0HtBpW7VkgjEOb4TGgVIfxA09s7r4jBw8kZH6vt57g827kQNr24BLYO_D0FDhu5V5sEKRuXbkNfbgwjHCghSveIa1gv2vt0IginIF5sxHEywOPCKw6ewm6hzTRc4vqHPj-uQpIJ9wMK9J1YyLtExRv34fpDfujUzVbL3O3vijt9PXcPA_yudfU-xebYo_6qtuiTEI__c9Jo0exDlI7BvkVqRQnf8vSpaSNjliyyeyYTmRNrRMAEtCSSN_FtS6RTulBLM1jC6jLlshc9RUWhiiBMkNGBY-urC2J0mgX3PpuGElbXXumgoVzAOUFTQqpqvaMNdY2i4Gj_0EkrTdlO4z79cZ0I8Cq9abyyY5w1AEZSleVghIXTClYRBvNkEG5w&zone=1806371-2366072709-0&lang=EN&cid=15266852151204187508061187396561043&time=1526685215&campaign=104122620&redirection_cost=0.094#b