Worldfreshjournal.com Attempts to Confuse Visitors
During our examination of suspicious websites, we came across the rogue page worldfreshjournal.com. This site functions by promoting browser notification spam and redirecting visitors to other websites, which are likely to be dubious or dangerous in nature.
Visitors typically reach worldfreshjournal.com and similar pages through redirects generated by websites that utilize rogue advertising networks. It's worth noting that the activities of rogue pages, such as the content they host or promote, may vary depending on the IP addresses or geolocations of the visitors. During our visit to worldfreshjournal.com, it presented adult-oriented clickbait content to prompt users to enable its notifications.
The webpage displayed a counterfeit video player purportedly loading an HD video titled "My adult video.mp4", accompanied by instructions urging users to click the "Allow" button to proceed. By granting this permission, users unwittingly authorize worldfreshjournal.com to send browser notifications.
These notifications often promote online scams, unreliable or harmful software, and even malware. Consequently, through sites like worldfreshjournal.com, users may encounter system infections and privacy breaches.
How Can Misleading Sites Abuse Push Notifications to Spam Ads?
Misleading websites can abuse push notifications to spam ads by exploiting the browser's notification feature to deliver unwanted and intrusive advertisements to users. Here's how they typically carry out this abuse:
Deceptive Tactics: Misleading websites often use deceptive tactics to trick users into subscribing to push notifications. They may present fake alerts or messages claiming that users need to click "Allow" to access content, view a video, or verify their age. By clicking "Allow," users unknowingly grant permission for the website to send push notifications to their browsers.
Clickbait Content: These websites often use clickbait content to lure users into subscribing to push notifications. They may display enticing headlines or offers, such as "Click here to win a prize" or "Watch this amazing video," to encourage users to click the "Allow" button without fully understanding the consequences.
False Promises: Misleading websites may make false promises or guarantees to persuade users to subscribe to push notifications. They may claim that users will receive exclusive offers, discounts, or important updates by enabling notifications, even though the actual content delivered through push notifications is spammy or irrelevant.
Frequency of Notifications: Once users have subscribed to push notifications, misleading websites often bombard them with a high volume of notifications. These notifications may appear frequently and at inconvenient times, disrupting users' browsing experience and causing frustration.
Intrusive Ads: The push notifications sent by misleading websites typically contain intrusive advertisements, such as pop-ups, banners, or sponsored links. These ads may promote questionable products, services, or websites and may lead to scams, phishing sites, or malware-infected pages.
Difficult to Unsubscribe: Misleading websites may make it difficult for users to unsubscribe from push notifications once they have subscribed. They may hide or obscure the opt-out option, require users to navigate through multiple pages or settings, or continuously prompt users to re-enable notifications even after they have opted out.
Overall, misleading sites abuse push notifications by exploiting users' trust and using deceptive tactics to coerce them into subscribing to unwanted ads. This practice not only annoys and disrupts users but also exposes them to potential security risks and privacy violations.
