Google 5 Billionth Search scam: what it is and how to deal with it
The "You've made the 5-billionth search" page is a fake prize page that borrows Google's look and offers three blue cups to pick from. There is no prize: close the tab, do not enter details or pay, and check what sent you there, as the steps below show.
Facts checked October 5, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation.
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Google 5 Billionth Search scam: summary
| Type | Fake prize page ("5-billionth search") that copies Google's look; not a program |
|---|---|
| Risk | High if you pay or type details; none if you only close the tab |
| Symptoms | A page announcing that you won the 5-billionth search, three blue cups, a 15-minute countdown; it may keep returning in new tabs or from notifications |
| How to get rid of it | Close the tab, remove notification permissions and extensions you do not know, uninstall unknown programs; clear Safari data on iPhone |
| Our check (5 October 2026) | A desk check: no page was opened and no site test exists; the old named domain, topreward.site, is unregistered |
| First seen | Our first report 5 May 2021; the winner date in the page text is 14 May 2018 |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 9 more facts
| Distribution | Ads, redirects, notifications and unwanted programs that open the page |
|---|---|
| Damage | Fees paid to scammers, personal and card details given away, spam and sponsored redirects |
| Name | 5 Billionth Search scam |
| Evidence | 3 reports from affected users and security sites; details still limited |
| Imitates | |
| Domains | topreward[.]site |
| Arrives through | Redirect |
| Promised prize | A Samsung KU6179 Ultra HD TV and three "hidden prizes" |
| Facts checked | 5 October 2026 |
Facts checked on 5 October 2026 against the FTC's prize-scam article, Chrome's notification help, Apple's Safari help and the registry lookup for topreward.site. We did not open the live page and ran no site test, so what the cups lead to is taken from our old guide and a 2020 reader report and is marked as such.
What the 5 Billionth Search page is
The "You've made the 5-billionth search" page is a fake prize page. It copies Google's look, names an invented earlier winner and offers three blue cups to pick from. Nothing on it comes from Google, and no prize waits behind a cup.
- What it claims
- That you won the 5-billionth search, may pick one of three hidden prizes, and have 15 minutes to do it
- What it is
- A lure page: it wants you to click a cup, then hand over personal details, card data or a small "fee"
- What it is not
- A virus. It is a web page; what may sit on your device is whatever sent you there
- What to do
- Close the tab, then check notifications, extensions and installed programs for what opened it
The old guide called it a notification and blamed adware first. Some visitors do get the page from a notification or an unwanted program, but many are sent by an ad or a redirect, and a visit alone installs nothing.
What the Google 5 Billionth Search scam page looks like
You've made the 5-billionth search.
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.
You may choose one of three hidden prizes below.
Behind every blue cup is a prize.
For technical reasons, we are not allowed to keep your invitation open for more than 15 minutes.
Is the Google 5 Billionth Search scam prize real?
- 1
Where did it open from?
A pop-up in the corner of the screen means a notification. A new tab while you read another page means an ad, a redirect or an extension.
- 2
Notifications and pop-ups
The removal plan covers the notification list. Also open Site settings > Pop-ups and redirects in Chrome and check the "allowed" list.
- 3
Extensions
Paste
chrome://extensionsoredge://extensionsinto the address bar and remove anything you did not install (Remove a browser extension). On Firefox useabout:addons. - 4
Programs
On Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and sort by install date (Windows 10: Apps & features). Look at what appeared before the pop-ups started.
What the Google 5 Billionth Search scam scammers want
Our check on 5 October 2026
5 Billionth Search · desk check · 5 October 2026 · no page was opened
- Live pageNot opened for this rewrite. We have no site test of it, so we cannot say which ad network, redirect chain or notification request serves it today.
- topreward.siteThe address our 2021 text named is not registered now: the registry lookup (Radix) said on 5 October 2026 that it is available for registration.
- The lure moved onOur own 2020 phone screenshot shows the page on a different .live address, not on a Google domain. Scam pages rotate between addresses.
- The claimsNone can be true. Two of our screenshots show the same winner name with a different town and date, which fits a template shown to everyone.
- A reader's caseOn 21 July 2020 a reader on a phone wrote that their e-mail was already filled in and the next page asked for shipping details, also filled in.
Fake prize page The page is a scam whatever we saw. This is a desk check, not a visit: a quiet page on one future visit would not clear it, since such pages change what they show by country, device and referrer.
How the page looked, and what changed since our first report
14 May 2018
The date in the winner text
The desktop copy says the last winner was Brad Jenkins from Brussels, Belgium, who won a Samsung KU6179 Ultra HD TV on 14.05.2018. That is the date in the page's text, not a date we saw the page.
The desktop version as shown in our old guide: confetti, the headline and three blue cups. 14 May 2019
The same page on a phone, with a different town
Our phone screenshot reads "Congratulations! You may be our next lucky winner!" and names Brad Jenkins from Nolensville, date 14.05.2019. Same name and TV, new town and year.
The page on a phone and on a desktop. The phone's address bar shows a .live address, not a Google one. 21 July 2020
A reader on a phone enters details
A reader wrote that their e-mail was already filled in, they pressed next, and a shipping form with correct pre-filled data appeared. They asked whether their information was safe.
5 May 2021
Our first guide
We published it on 5 May 2021 and updated it on 11 June 2021. It named topreward.site, which a Reddit report had marked as deceptive in Chrome; we have not re-read that report.
Both versions of the page under a FALSE stamp, as our old guide marked it.
The page, line by line
| What the page says | What is really going on |
|---|---|
| "You've made the 5-billionth search." | No search counter hands out prizes. Every visitor sees the same page; the FTC warns that scammers make it seem you are the only winner when the same message went to many people. |
| "Our last winner was Brad Jenkins from Brussels, Belgium, who won a Samsung KU6179 Ultra HD TV." | An invented proof of payout. Our two screenshots carry the same name and TV with different towns and years: a template. |
| "Choose one of three hidden prizes." "Behind every blue cup is a prize." | A game that makes you click. We did not follow the cups, so what each opens is not confirmed; readers and our old guide describe "you won" screens, then requests for personal data or a payment. |
| "You will be entered in our Hall of Fame and receive a winner's certificate." | Flattery. No source we found shows such a hall or certificate. |
| "We are not allowed to keep your invitation open for more than 15 minutes." | A deadline to stop you thinking. The FTC lists pressure to act now among the marks of a prize scam. |
| A Google logo and header | Scammers use names people recognise. In our own screenshot the address bar is not a Google address. |
The real risks, from most to least serious
- High
Paying a fee or giving card details
The FTC's first rule: if you have to pay to get a prize, it is a scam. Fees come as shipping, taxes or a "starter" payment. Our old guide: no reward waits and the money goes to the scammers.
- High
Handing over personal details
A name, e-mail, address, phone number or password typed into the form can be used for identity fraud and sold on. The FTC: no prize needs your financial or personal information.
- Medium
Being sent on to worse pages
A cup can open sponsored pages. Our old guide warned of Trojans and ransomware at the end of such chains; we have no sample showing that, but the FTC says links in prize messages can download malware.
- Medium
A source on your own device
If the page returns on different sites, a notification permission, an extension or an unwanted program may be sending you. Our old guide added that adware can record your browsing and share it; not confirmed for this page.
Why Google 5 Billionth Search scam opens in your browser
How the page reaches you
| Route | What happens | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| An ad or redirect | A banner, pop-under or redirect on another page, often a free-download or streaming site, opens the prize page. | Nothing is installed. Close the tab; if it repeats on many sites, look at the next rows. |
| A notification you allowed | A site you once allowed to notify you shows messages that open the page. Chrome asks first and blocks notifications from sites it judges misleading, but a permission you gave stays until you remove it. | Remove unknown sites from the notification list. |
| An extension or unwanted program | An add-on or a program bundled with a free download pushes ads for pay-per-click money. Our old guide named download portals as carriers; we could not confirm that for any site today. | Check extensions and installed programs. |
| A link in a message | The FTC notes that a link in a prize message can download malware; prize messages also come by text, e-mail and social media. | Delete the message unclicked. |
When you install free software, choose the custom or advanced mode and untick every extra offer.
How to keep prize pages away
Do
- Pick Custom or Advanced when you install free software, and untick every extra offer.
- Keep the browser updated; if it says a site is deceptive, close the tab.
- Keep a current backup of important files. Windows has File History and OneDrive backup built in.
- A VPN hides your IP address from sites and ad networks, but it does not block prize pages.
Don't
- Do not click a cup, a "claim" or "continue" button.
- Do not type personal or card data to claim a prize, or pay a fee to receive one.
- Do not install a fake software update that a page asks for.
- Do not trust a site because it has a Google logo.
If you entered your details or paid
- 1
You paid or entered a card
Call your bank today, ask them to block the card and dispute the charge. What to do after paying a scammer
- 2
You entered a password
Change it everywhere you reused it, starting with e-mail, and turn on two-step verification (Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account).
- 3
You gave a phone number or address
Expect spam texts, calls and mail about prizes and parcels. Do not answer or click their links.
- 4
You pressed next on a pre-filled form
If you submitted the form, assume the scammers received what was in it; we cannot see what a page sent. Expect phishing mail.
- 5
You only looked
There is nothing to undo. Close the tab and check what sent you the page.
- 6
Windows programs
If the check found an unknown program, remove it from Settings > Apps > Installed apps (), restart and look again.
Report the page to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, as it advises for prize scams, and keep a screenshot of the page and of any payment confirmation.
How to get rid of the 5 Billionth Search scam pages
There is no prize.
Close the page, stop the notifications, and protect your card if you entered it.
Which browser shows the ads?
Step 1: Remove topreward[.]site from Chrome's notification list
Chrome keeps a list of every site you once allowed to send notifications, and
topreward[.]siteis on it. Pastechrome://settings/content/notificationsinto the address bar, find topreward[.]site under Allowed to send notifications, open the three-dot menu next to it and pick Remove.Then click Add next to Not allowed to send notifications and type topreward[.]site, so the site cannot ask a second time. Repeat it in every Chrome profile you use on Windows 11 or Windows 10, since each profile has its own list.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Still there? More for Google Chrome
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
chrome://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove on anything you did not install yourself, especially video downloaders, "search" or PDF helpers added recently.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Reset Chrome
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults and confirm with Reset settings. This resets the start page, search engine and pinned tabs and turns off extensions; bookmarks and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 1: Remove topreward[.]site from Edge's notification list
Open Settings and more (the three dots) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Remove
topreward[.]sitefrom the Allowed list, then click Add site next to Not allowed to send notifications and enter it there.Edge is built into both Windows 11 and Windows 10, so check it even if you normally use another browser. If the notifications came with the Edge logo, this is the browser that holds the permission.
Edge on Windows 11: Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Still there? More for Microsoft Edge
Remove extensions you do not recognise
Paste
edge://extensionsinto the address bar and click Remove under anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Reset Edge
Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values and confirm with Reset. Extensions are turned off and the start page goes back to default; favourites, history and saved passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 1: Remove topreward[.]site from Firefox's notification permissions
Open the menu (three lines) > Settings and click Permissions and data in the left list, then Notifications. Select
topreward[.]site, click Remove Website and confirm with Save Changes.In versions older than Firefox 152 the same list sits under Privacy & Security, behind a Settings button next to Notifications. Firefox shows these notifications only while it is running, on Windows 11 and Windows 10 alike.
Firefox on Windows 11: the Notification Permissions window. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Still there? More for Mozilla Firefox
Remove add-ons you do not recognise
Paste
about:addonsinto the address bar, open Extensions, and choose Remove from the three-dot menu of anything you did not install yourself.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Refresh Firefox
Open the menu > Help > More troubleshooting information and click Refresh Firefox. Add-ons and custom settings are removed and the home page goes back to default; bookmarks, history and passwords stay.
Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Take back the notification permission
Safari 18 and later on macOS: open Safari > Settings > Websites > Notifications, select any site you do not recognise and set it to Deny, or click Remove. Untick Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications at the bottom so no site can ask again.
Remove extensions you do not recognise
In Safari > Settings > Extensions, select anything you did not install yourself and click Uninstall.
Check the Mac for apps from the ads
Ads also target Mac users with fake players and "cleaners". In Finder > Applications, move anything unknown to the Bin.
Then, whichever browser you use
Step 2: Close the page without touching its buttons
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, select the browser on Processes and click End task: buttons on the page, including Close and Cancel, can trigger downloads or more pop-ups. When you reopen the browser, do not restore the previous tabs.
Warning: Never call a number shown in a browser warning; Microsoft and antivirus companies do not put phone numbers in warnings.
If the page opens again by itself, notifications or an extension are bringing it back. Task Manager works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Full procedure with screenshots: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit) On uGetFix
Step 3: Block the card if you entered it
Card details entered on a fake page are used within hours. Block the card in your bank's app or by calling the number on the card, and ask for a replacement.
Dispute every charge you did not make, and keep the scam message as evidence for the bank. Do not reuse the same card number on any site until it is replaced, whether you shop on a phone or a Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Full procedure with screenshots: What to do after paying a scammer
On an iPhone or an Android phone
- 1
iPhone, Safari
Open Settings > Apps > Safari and tap Clear History and Website Data, then choose the time range. Apple notes this leaves AutoFill information alone. For one site only, use Advanced > Website Data.
- 2
Android, Chrome
Open Chrome, tap More > Settings > Site settings > Notifications and review the sites. For a site that already notifies you, swipe down to the notification and tap Unsubscribe. Under Permissions, turn off Pop-ups and redirects.
Questions about Google 5 Billionth Search scam
Is the Google 5-billionth search prize real?
No. The "You've made the 5-billionth search" page is a scam: nothing on it is tied to Google, and no prize is waiting. The page shows every visitor the same winner story, with an invented earlier winner and three blue cups to pick from.
Our own screenshots from 2018 and 2019 give the same winner name with different towns and years, which fits a template. Close the tab, click nothing and do not type any details into the form it offers.
Is there a prize behind the blue cups?
No. The cups are a game that makes you click, nothing more. We did not follow the cups ourselves, so we cannot say which page each one opens, but readers and our old guide describe the same sequence:
- a congratulations screen
- then requests for personal data or a small payment
- a redirect to other sponsored pages
Real sweepstakes are free and decided by chance, so a prize that needs a click on a cup plus your details or money is the lure itself.
What do I do about the 5-billionth search pop-up on my iPhone?
Close the tab, then clear Safari's website data. Open Settings, tap Apps, then Safari, and tap Clear History and Website Data; Apple notes this leaves AutoFill information untouched. If you typed details or paid, follow the steps for what you gave the page.
The page itself does not install anything on an iPhone: the risk is what you type into it. If it comes back often, check the site that sends you there and avoid free streaming and download sites, where such ads are common.
I entered my details on the 5 Billionth Search page. Is my information safe?
Assume what you submitted reached the scammers. A reader asked this in 2020 after their e-mail and shipping details were filled in automatically and they pressed next. We cannot see what a page sent, so treat the data as exposed:
- expect phishing e-mail and spam calls
- do not answer them
- watch your accounts
If you gave a card number or paid, call your bank at once and dispute the charge. If you typed a password, change it everywhere you reused it. If it was only a name and e-mail, the main cost is more spam.
Is the 5 Billionth Search scam a virus, and is my device infected?
Not by itself. The page is a web page, and a visit does not install a virus. What can be on your device is the thing that sent you there: a notification permission you gave a site, an extension, or an unwanted program that came with free software.
Our old guide blamed adware first; we could not confirm that for this page. If the page keeps coming back on different sites, check the notification list, the extensions and the installed programs, as the steps above show, then run your security software's scan.
Why does the 5-billionth search page keep coming back?
Something is opening it, and closing the tab does not stop that. The common causes are a notification permission you allowed earlier, an ad network on a site you visit often, an extension, or an unwanted program.
Look at where the page opens: a pop-up in the corner of the screen points to notifications, a new tab while you read another site points to ads or an extension. Remove the notification permissions and extensions you do not recognise. If it only happens on one site, stop visiting that site.
How do I report the 5 Billionth Search scam?
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; the FTC lists this for prize scams, together with your state attorney general and local consumer protection office. If a scammer used your personal information, IdentityTheft.gov has steps to protect your identity.
Take a screenshot of the page and of any payment confirmation first, and note when and on which device you saw it. If the page came from a notification, remove the site's permission in your browser as well, so it cannot send you the next one.
Will Fortect remove 5 Billionth Search scam?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For 5 Billionth Search scam, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- FTC Consumer Advice: Fake prize, sweepstakes and lottery scams (read October 5, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (computer and Android) (no longer online) (read October 5, 2026)
- Apple Support: Delete your Safari history, cache, and cookies on iPhone (read October 5, 2026)
- Radix RDAP: topreward.site registration lookup (domain available for registration) (no longer online) (read October 5, 2026)