5 Billionth Search scam – a misleading message encouraging users to pick one of the three provided prizes
5 Billionth Search scam is a fake notification claiming that you have made the 5-billionth search query recently and will be rewarded with some type of prize. The bogus message makes it look very attractive by providing false information about recent winners one of which appears to be someone named Brad Jenkins from Brussels, Belgium who won a Samsung KU6179 Ultra HD TV. Afterward, 5 Billionth Search virus states that you are the next winner and in order to claim the prize, you have to pick one that is hidden behind three blue cups at the bottom of the message. Hackers who are standing behind this questionable notification also warn users that this message will lurk no longer than 15 minutes, and this is like a little push towards picking a prize faster.
| Name | 5 Billionth Search scam |
|---|---|
| Type | Scam app |
| Goal | The main purpose of this scam is to encourage users to click on the fake prizes provided. Once the user clicks there, anything can happen – the person can be asked to fill in personal information, credentials, or redirected to a sponsored domain |
| Cause | The misleading message can start appearing as a result of adware or another PUP infection lurking on your computer system. Also, it is provided by third-party websites such as topreward.site |
| Removal | You can get rid of the suspicious content by using a reliable antimalware product or by completing manual guiding steps like those ones that are provided at the end of this article |
| Fix tip | If you have encountered any compromised areas on your computer, you can try recovering them with the help of Reimage Reimage Cleaner |
The main reason why you are seeing 5 Billionth Search prize scam frequently might be a potentially unwanted program that has infiltrated your computer system unknowingly. These apps are capable of installing on targeted devices by manipulating weak downloading settings and using freeware installations from unsecured third-party downloading websites such as soft32.com, softonic.com, cnet.com, and download.com.
Even if You’ve made the 5 Billionth search pop-up scam appears just once or twice while browsing the Internet sphere, you should still avoid believing in it. The scam message will try to encourage you to select a specific cup by promising that under each one there is a prize waiting for you. Also, the creators of this notification claim that you will be included in their Hall of Fame and receive some type of winner certificate. Take a look at the entire message:
You’ve made the 5-billionth search.
You were evaluated as the winner of today’s 5-billionth search query a few minutes ago by our system!
Our last winner was Brad Jenkins from Brussels, Belgium, who won a Samsung KU6179 Ultra HD TV on 14.05.2018 with his 5-billionth Search.
We are proud to announce that you are our next winner.
Every time the 5-billionth search is reached, we proclaim a winner and reset the counter.
You may choose one of three hidden prizes below. In addition, you will be entered in our Hall of Fame and receive a winner’s certificate.
Behind every blue cup is a prize. Click on a prize cup to uncover it.
For technical reasons, we are not allowed to keep your invitation open for more than 15 minutes. Choose one of the prizes below and follow the instructions on your screen.
According to peoples’ reviews on Reddit.com,[1] 5 Billionth Search scam can appear from a website called topreward.site that is marked as a deceptive site ahead while trying to enter it via the Google Chrome web browser. If you receive any type of notification from this domain, you should click the “x” closing button on the upper right corner of your browser window.
Do not click anywhere where 5 Billionth Search scam wants you to click on. By trying to claim a specific prize, you are likely to be loaded with congratulations notifications that you have won some type of electronic device, gift card, etc. However, then you might be asked to provide some personal or credential information. This is where the trickiest part starts.
Do not enter any personally-identifiable or sensitive data that can easily get misused in ID theft or monetary swindles. Hackers who are behind 5 Billionth Search scam might try to gather such information for their illegitimate purposes. You might also be asked to transfer a starter price that is claimed to be necessary for receiving the prize. However, note that there is no reward waiting for you and you will just fill up the scammers’ pockets with monetary income.
Furthermore, if you click on 5 Billionth Search scam, you might get redirected to some unknown places. These locations might be sponsored by various developers but they might also carry infectious payload and get you infected with dangerous malware such as a Trojan horse or ransomware virus that can result in file loss, system and software destruction, personal information theft, and similar.
Moreover, if 5 Billionth Search scam is a result of some type of adware program that is lurking on your computer, you can start expecting other unwanted activities that will likely appear soon on your device if they did not have approached you yet. Adware apps are responsible for the delivery of advertising content and sponsored offers. These PUPs aim to collect pay-per-click[2] income from each click that is made on their ads.
5 Billionth Search virus – a scam that can come from the topreward.site website
5 Billionth Search virus – a scam that can come from the topreward.site website
If adware is responsible for the appearance of 5 Billionth Search scam, you might also spot some changes in your web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. The suspicious app can make an impact on major settings such as the homepage, new tab URL and fill the browsers with questionable extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons.
Continuously, adware programs are capable of recording browsing-related information such as Internet Protocol address,[3] geographic location, recently visited websites, hyperlinks clicked, your browser type, etc. When this type of data is recorded, developers can share it with other parties for receiving income or use the collected information for developing targeted advertising campaigns.
To complete the full 5 Billionth Search scam removal, you need to eliminate the cause of this scam message. For this purpose, scan the entire computer system with a reliable antimalware product that will detect all the infected sources and potentially unwanted content that might be brought to the machine during the adware infiltration period.
You can remove 5 Billionth Search scam and the PUP behind it by using automatical software that is capable of dealing with the cyber threat within a few minutes of time. Also, you can try employing Reimage Reimage Cleaner for fixing any damage that might have been performed to your computer system. If you are curious to try to get rid of the scam and the PUP by yourself, at the end of this article, we have also provided some manual step-by-step guidelines.
5 Billionth Search scam is a false notification encouraging users to win some type of electronic prize by pressing on one of the three cup icons that are claimed to hold a reward each
5 Billionth Search scam is a false notification encouraging users to win some type of electronic prize by pressing on one of the three cup icons that are claimed to hold a reward each
Learning about PUP delivery and preventing it
Cybersecurity experts from LosVirus.es[4] claim that potentially unwanted programs are always using deceptive techniques to arrive at their destinations. Most commonly, the “software bundling” technique is employed by various third-parties and seems to be very effective regarding the big number of users who often get infected with adware and other PUPs.
The suspicious product often gets installed to the computer system through other freeware or shareware that users download from unsecured sources such as download.com, softonic.com, and cnet.com. Be aware that you should always pick the Custom or Advanced installation mode in order not to let any suspicious downloads take place on your computer. Here, opt-out of all of the products that you do not want to see on your device.
Furthermore, adware apps and similar threats can get distributed through infectious advertisements and hyperlinks that were are able to meet on deceptive domains. If your web browser or security software is warning you that there is a potentially suspicious or malicious website ahead, you should avoid visiting it. Also, be careful with fake software updates as some of them might also be designed for the installation of PUPs.
The deletion of 5 Billionth Search scam from your computer
Full 5 Billionth Search scam removal involves getting rid of its cause which is likely to be some type of adware program. For this purpose, you can employ automatic security products that will help to get rid of the potentially unwanted program within minutes of time. Also, this type of software will ensure that there are no suspicious components left lurking in your computer system after the elimination process is completed. Note that, if you leave any content related to 5 Billionth Search virus on your PC, the scam might return with its messages repeatedly.
There also is another technique that you can use to remove 5 Billionth Search scam and its cause from your device. This method required cleaning the entire OS manually and also refreshing possibly-affected web browser applications such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox.
You may remove virus damage with a help of Reimage Reimage Cleaner . SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
