Totalfreshwords.com Misleads Visitors into Accepting Ads

Totalfreshwords.com operates as a deceptive website that engages in the dissemination of unwanted browser notification spam and redirects users towards potentially questionable or even malicious online destinations.

A significant portion of visitors to totalfreshwords.com and similar websites arrive at these platforms through redirects prompted by websites that employ deceitful advertising networks. Our research team's identification of totalfreshwords.com was the result of an inquiry into sites utilizing such networks.

It's important to note that the content encountered on rogue websites, as well as the paths followed through them, might diverge based on the visitor's IP address or geographical location.

Upon inspecting the totalfreshwords.com webpage, we were greeted with a loading progress bar, accompanied by instructions urging users to "Click the Allow button to subscribe to push notifications and continue browsing." This manipulative text suggests that in order to resume accessing online content, visitors must grant permission for the delivery of browser notifications, which are essentially ads.

Furthermore, the moment totalfreshwords.com was accessed, it automatically redirected to a suspicious page endorsing the oWebster Search browser hijacker. Notably, totalfreshwords.com repeatedly directed to the same webpage once users clicked the "Allow" button, which triggers the delivery of notifications.

Rogue websites exploit their browser notifications to conduct intrusive advertising campaigns. The advertisements they display primarily promote online scams, untrustworthy or harmful software, as well as potential malware threats.

What Are Rogue Advertising Networks?

Rogue advertising networks refer to networks or platforms that engage in unethical or malicious practices within the realm of online advertising. These networks often violate industry standards, engage in deceptive tactics, and promote harmful content to users. They can have detrimental effects on both advertisers and users, undermining the credibility and security of online advertising campaigns. Here are some characteristics and practices associated with rogue advertising networks:

• Deceptive Ads: Rogue networks may display misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive advertisements to users. These ads can trick users into clicking on them or provide false information.
• Malvertising: Rogue networks can be a breeding ground for malvertising, where malicious code is embedded within ads to infect users' devices with malware or redirect them to malicious websites.
• Unverified Content: Advertisers within rogue networks often don't go through proper verification processes, leading to the promotion of counterfeit products, scams, and low-quality content.
• Privacy Violations: These networks might engage in collecting users' personal information without proper consent or may sell user data to third parties without authorization.
• Unethical Practices: Rogue networks can engage in click fraud, where fake clicks on ads are generated to fraudulently increase the revenue for publishers.
• Redirects and Pop-ups: Users might be redirected to unwanted websites or bombarded with intrusive pop-up ads that hinder their online experience.
• Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Rogue networks can exploit vulnerabilities in ad delivery mechanisms to distribute malware or compromise users' devices.
• Content Farms: These networks might host websites that produce low-quality or plagiarized content solely for the purpose of generating ad revenue.