Misground.com Uses Fake Bot Check to Spam Ads

During our investigation, we discovered Misground.com, a fraudulent website that tricks users into subscribing to push notifications by posing as a verification process. The website requests users to click on the "Allow" button to prove that they are not robots. Unfortunately, by clicking on "Allow," users unknowingly give consent for the website to display push notifications, which flood their screens with pop-up ads even when their browser is closed.

Scammers may use fake advertising networks to redirect users to unsafe websites, where they may end up on deceptive pages attempting to steal personal information or deceive them into downloading potentially unwanted programs or malware. Therefore, it is crucial that users avoid clicking on any links embedded in advertisements, even if they seem to promote legitimate products.

Victims usually report seeing ads for adult websites, fake antivirus offers, software deals, surveys, and giveaways. It is essential to turn off these ads as soon as possible, particularly if other users are also using the affected device.

How Can You Tell a Fake Anti-Bot Check from a Real One?

Fake anti-bot checks are often used by fraudulent websites to trick users into subscribing to push notifications or performing other malicious actions. These fake checks are designed to mimic real ones in order to deceive users. However, there are a few ways to tell them apart:

Legitimate anti-bot checks are usually part of a sign-up or login process, and they typically require users to solve a simple puzzle or identify specific objects. Fake anti-bot checks, on the other hand, often appear out of nowhere and ask users to click on a button to prove that they are not robots.

Legitimate anti-bot checks are often hosted by well-known providers like Google's reCAPTCHA. Fake checks are usually hosted by unknown providers or by the fraudulent website itself.

Legitimate anti-bot checks are designed to be easy for humans to solve but difficult for bots. Fake checks may be designed to be impossible to solve, or they may simply ask users to perform an action that has nothing to do with proving that they are human.

Legitimate anti-bot checks do not require users to subscribe to push notifications or perform other actions in order to proceed. Fake checks often use these tactics to deceive users.

If you are unsure whether an anti-bot check is legitimate, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid interacting with it.