Officesolveat.top ads (scam) - Free Guide

What is Officesolveat.top ads?

Officesolveat.top is a phishing attack made by crooks to extract personal information

Fraudsters try to lure out information with a fake notification from Google

Officesolveat.top is a bogus website created by crooks to trick people into thinking that they have a chance to claim a gift from Google. It uses social engineering^[1] methods to make people believe that they are lucky visitors. The full message reads as follows:

You've made the 16.39-billionth search!

Congratulations! You are the lucky winner!
Every 10 millionth search is reached worldwide, we will proclaim a winner to send out a thank-you gift.
Please select your lucky prize below and claim it by following the instruction.

The page is made to look like a legitimate notification from Google, with its logo, branding, and style. Crooks have also included fake testimonials from supposed “Recent Lucky Users.” People should think clearly before believing such messages. Google and other tech giants do not pick random users and shower them with gifts.

The main purpose of such phishing^[2] campaigns is to lure out users' personal information, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and banking details. This could lead to monetary losses or even identity theft. In some cases, crooks may try to fool people into downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),^[3] and malware.

Distribution methods

Pages, like Officesolveat.top can rarely be found in the search results. Usually, they hide on other shady sites that are unregulated. For example, illegal streaming sites^[4] are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. It is important to only visit pages that you know and trust. Do not click on random links and ads even if they seem to be promoting legitimate products or services.

Another possibility is that the scam page appeared without any user input. This can happen if you are infected by adware. It can cause an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects. You should scan your system with professional security tools to make sure that your system is safe.

Adware can exist in a form of a browser extension or a computer program. If it is the browser extension that is causing such pages to open, users can experience additional symptoms, such as changed main settings – homepage, new tab address, and search engine.

Scam pages usually hide on other shady sites that are unregulated

Fix your browser

After an encounter with a site like Officesolveat.top you should take care of your browser. Follow the guide below:

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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Cookies are small text files that can track your browsing activity and store information, like your IP address, geolocation, websites you visit, links you click on, and things you purchase. This data is normally used to personalize the user experience but crooks use it to make a profit. They can be sold to advertising networks and other third parties.

They can even be hijacked, and used for malicious purposes, that is why security experts recommend clearing them regularly. This process can be made easy with a maintenance tool like FortectIntego. Besides, this powerful software can fix various system errors, corrupted files, and registry issues which is especially helpful after a virus infection.

Otherwise, you can follow the step-by-step instructions below.

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.

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.

Check your system for adware

If you have performed all the previous steps but you still experience unwanted symptoms, you might have a PUP installed in your system that is generating ads in the background without your consent. Such programs are known as adware, and usually, they sneak into the system from freeware distribution platforms.

If you are unsure, that your system is completely safe and you still experience unwanted symptoms, you should use anti-malware tools like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes or other trusted ones and scan your system. Security software can also prevent such infections in the future by giving you a warning about suspicious programs. If you want to try it yourself, follow the instructions for Windows and macOS:

Windows 10/8:

1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

Windows 7/XP:

1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Mac:

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.

Take action if you have fallen for a scam

If you were tricked by crooks into providing your personal details you should take immediate action:

• If you have given away your passwords, you should try to change them as soon as possible before fraudsters can get to them first. Scammers can gain login details to social media accounts and use them to spread their scams further.
• If you think you gave away your banking details to untrustful sources, contact your bank and explain what happened. They may be able to block your card in time to prevent scammers from accessing it and stealing your funds.