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Google 5 billionth search Scam. 2021 update.

by Julie Splinters - - | Type: Adware

5 Billionth Search scam Removal Guide

What is 5 Billionth Search scam?

Google 5 Billionth Search website is a scam aiming to expose users to other advertising content

Google 5 Billionth Search scamA misleading message that provides fake winner reviews

Google 5 Billionth Search is a misleading notification claiming that you've made the 5-billionth search query recently and will be rewarded with some type of prize. It looks 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, the 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 Google 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 FortectIntego

The main reason why you are seeing prize scams 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 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 this 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 this message might try to gather such information for 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 Google 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.

In case the 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 virusA 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 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 scam and the PUP behind it by using automatic software that is capable of dealing with the cyber threat within a few minutes of time. Also, you can try employing FortectIntego 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 prize scamThe 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.

Getting rid of PUP and scam from your computer is a must

Full removal involves getting rid of its cause that is likely to be some type of adware program. For this purpose, you can employ automatic security products like AV programs 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 this 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 scams and their 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 might use the help of automatic tools like PC repair app to ensure there are not damaged files left on your PC.

You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. 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.

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Getting rid of 5 Billionth Search scam. Follow these steps

Uninstall from Android

Uninstall unwanted programs from Android device:

  1. Go to Settings -> Apps/Applications.
  2. Expand the full list of the installed apps.
  3. Scroll through the list and tap on a suspicious application once.
  4. Tap on it and select Uninstall.
  5. If the Uninstall option is unavailable, the app may require additional permissions to be revoked first. Uninstall from Android
  6. Reboot the device.

Clear storage and cache for Google Chrome or other apps::

  1. Go to Settings > Apps/Applications.
  2. Expand the full list of the installed apps.
  3. Tap on Chrome and select Storage & cache.
  4. Clear storage and clear cache of the app. Clear Chrome cache and and data Android

If you are seeing ads on top of other apps but are not sure what is causing it, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to Apps/Applications.
  2. Select Special App access.
  3. Tap on Display over other apps. Check if can display over other Apps Android
  4. Eliminate apps with these access rights enabled.

Uninstall from Windows

  1. Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs). Click 'Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features' (if you are 'Windows XP' user, click on 'Add/Remove Programs').
  2. If you are Windows 10 / Windows 8 user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel and Uninstall a Program. If you are 'Windows 10 / Windows 8' user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once 'Quick Access Menu' shows up, select 'Control Panel' and 'Uninstall a Program'.
  3. Uninstall 5 Billionth Search scam and related programs
    Here, look for 5 Billionth Search scam or any other recently installed suspicious programs.
  4. Uninstall them and click OK to save these changes. Right click on each of suspicious entries and select 'Uninstall'

Delete from macOS

  1. If you are using OS X, click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications. Cick 'Go' and select 'Applications'
  2. Wait until you see Applications folder and look for 5 Billionth Search scam or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash. Click on every malicious entry and select 'Move to Trash'

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove. Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear. Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running. Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove. Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now. Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history. Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove. Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data…
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear. Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information. Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox. Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove. Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data. Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings. Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

  1. Remove dangerous extensions
    Open Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences. Click on 'Safari' and select 'Preferences'
  2. Here, select Extensions and look for 5 Billionth Search scam or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them. Go to 'Extensions' and uninstall malicious add-ons
  3. Reset Safari
    Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari.... Click on 'Safari' and select 'Reset Safari...'
  4. Now you will see a detailed dialog window filled with reset options. All of those options are usually checked, but you can specify which of them you want to reset. Click the Reset button to complete 5 Billionth Search scam removal process. Select all options and click on 'Reset' button

After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of 5 Billionth Search scam registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.

How to prevent from getting adware

Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool

Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.

 

Lost your files? Use data recovery software

While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable. Family photos, work documents, school projects – these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur: power cuts, Blue Screen of Death errors, hardware failures, crypto-malware attack, or even accidental deletion.

To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.

About the author
Julie Splinters
Julie Splinters - Anti-malware specialist

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References
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