Demseemu.com Pushes Intrusive Ad Spam
Our researchers came across Demseemu.com, a rogue webpage, during a routine examination of suspicious sites. This site promotes spam browser notifications and redirects visitors to various (likely untrustworthy or hazardous) websites.
Users typically land on webpages like Demseemu.com through redirects triggered by sites employing rogue advertising networks. During our investigation, Demseemu.com displayed the message, "Click the Allow button to subscribe to the push notifications and continue watching," accompanied by a continuously loading progress bar.
It's worth noting that the content found on rogue sites, including Demseemu.com, may be influenced by factors such as the visitor's IP address (geolocation).
Demseemu.com deceptively suggests that to resume watching online content, users must enable browser notifications. This deception can be particularly convincing if Demseemu.com is accessed through a redirect from a suspicious streaming website or a similar page. Upon clicking the "Allow" option on Demseemu.com, we were redirected to the bindsnetwork.com webpage.
Rogue sites leverage browser notifications to conduct intrusive ad campaigns, promoting online scams, unreliable or harmful software, and malware.
How Can Misleading Pages Abuse Push Notifications for Ad Spam?
Misleading pages can abuse push notifications for ad spam by tricking users into subscribing to notifications under false pretenses. Here's how they typically carry out this deceptive practice:
False Promises: Misleading pages often present enticing messages or offers to users, such as promises of exclusive content, access to prizes or giveaways, or alerts for breaking news. These messages are designed to grab the user's attention and persuade them to click on a prompt to enable push notifications.
Deceptive Dialog Boxes: When users visit a misleading page, they may encounter a dialog box that prompts them to allow or block push notifications. The dialog box may use misleading language or visual cues to encourage users to click the "Allow" button, such as claiming that notifications are necessary to access content or continue browsing.
Fake Verification: Some misleading pages may present a fake verification process, such as a CAPTCHA or age verification prompt, that requires users to enable push notifications to proceed. This creates a sense of urgency or necessity, leading users to consent without fully understanding the implications.
Continuous Prompts: If users dismiss or decline the initial notification prompt, misleading pages may bombard them with persistent or repetitive prompts, making it difficult to navigate away from the page without accidentally consenting to notifications.
Social Engineering Tactics: Misleading pages may employ social engineering tactics to manipulate users' emotions or behavior. For example, they may use fear tactics by falsely claiming that notifications are necessary for security purposes or to protect against viruses or malware.
Once users have unwittingly subscribed to push notifications, the misleading page can abuse this permission to deliver spammy advertisements directly to their devices. These advertisements may promote various products, services, or scams, disrupting the user's browsing experience and potentially exposing them to fraudulent or malicious content.
