Sites Trick Users Into Subscribing to Browser Notification Spam

[javajolt]

Sites that try to trick users into subscribing to browser notification spam are increasingly becoming a method used to promote unwanted extensions, fake software, adware bundles, adult sites, and scam sites.



Scam sites like the one above are promoted through poisoned search results or adware redirects and tell users that they need to subscribe to the site in order access a service or watch a video. For example, in the image above the site states that the visitor must subscribe to notifications in order to view a video.

Once the users sign up for notifications, the site will either perform a redirect to another site or display the video. The visitor, though, will now receive spam browser notifications delivered directly to their desktop.


Browser notification displayed on desktop

These spam notifications will essentially be advertisements for unwanted extensions, fake downloads, adult sites, and giveaway scams as shown below.


Example browser notifications

The problem is that many users may have no idea how these notifications are appearing and will continue to receive them until they remove the subscription. Thankfully, removing sites that you are subscribed to is fairly easy.

Removing browser notification subscriptions

If you are receiving browser notification spam, you can check for and remove subscriptions by going into your browser's settings.

To remove them in Chrome, you can go into the Settings and search for Notifications, click on Content Settings, and then click on Notifications. Chrome will now display a list of sites that you are subscribed to or have blocked.


Subscribed Sites in Chrome

To remove a notification, simply click on the dotted vertical line next to a site and select Remove as shown below.


Remove Subscription in Chrome

For Firefox users, you can use a similar method. Just go into Options, search for Notifications, and then click on Settings next to Notifications to access the list of subscribed sites and remove them.


Subscribed Sites in Firefox

Once you remove a browser subscription, the notification spam from those sites will no longer display on the desktop.

source