Stop Adcash(.)com Referral Spam In Google Analytics

Referral spam messages have appeared online advertising suspicious third-party websites by using web links provided by legitimate ad-providing services such as Adcash(.)com have been reported to affect users. The web links being spammed are related to the reputable Adcash service that has nothing to do with the spam links advertised. Everyone who has come across referral spam containing Adcash(.)com web links featured in spammed messages should be aware that they may be dangerous. This is a big problem for Adcash staff as well, since the company is looking forward to eliminating such spammers that use their web links in the future.

How Does Adcash(.)com URLs Spam Work

One way this particular spam method uses to spread is via spam bots. In general spam bots aim to drive hoax traffic to the web link being advertised. Examples for various spammed web links that redirect to third-party sites via Adcash may be:

• www.adcash(.)com/2dh23inf32i2.html
• https://222e91adcash(.)com

Such web links may lead to websites that might be looking forward to generating funds via pay-per-click schemes such as the adf(.)ly spam. The risks associated with such spam is that it may quickly corrupt the website’s statistics and be dangerous for the user who clicked on the link as well. The main dangers associated with this spam for users may be separated into two groups:

• Infect users with different malware – Trojans, Ransomware, Worms, Rootkits, etc
• Redirect the user to scamming sites that may resemble a reputable service or a prize contest and rope him/her into providing personal or financial data. This is typical for users who do not have a lot of experience with such situations.

Furthermore, the third parties that take advantage of legitimate Adcash(.)com advertising services may use different types of tracking technologies:

• Targeting or Advertising cookies.
• Analytical/Performance cookies.
• Session cookies.
• Persistent cookies.
• Pixel tracking.

In general, referral spam containing Adcash(.)com URLs might use two types of spamming methods to spread and be effective:

Web Crawlers

Crawlers, also known as Spiders, have the potential to spread the spam on a global scale. This may be because the crawler is programmed to look for websites with different preset criteria. To put this in perspective imagine that the spider bot looks for websites that have traffic in the range 3000 to 10000 users per day and it is set to look for sites with no Captcha being present. The spam bot is set to spam automatically those sites with a pre-programmed messages and web links embedded in them. Even though it may devaluate the statistics on an affected website very rapidly, the spam bot is not this aggressive. It may back away after being warned, removed once or reported.

Ghost Referral Spam

Ghost Referral spam is also known as ghosts and ghost referrer spam and as its name suggests it aims to stay hidden on a website for as long as possible by using obfuscation techniques. Researchers focused primarily on Referral Spam have reported that Ghost Referrers use special software to take advantage of the free HTTP connection to be able to spam while not visiting the website itself. This type of spam “from a distance” may allow spammers using the legitimate Adcash(.)com advertising services to spread it to a way larger magnitude then they would be able to If the spam techniques were conventional.

Whether it is to drive traffic to a third-party site, to cause spikes and devaluate your GA statistics or to drive users to click on its web links for malicious purposes, referral spam is no good, and it should be regularly blocked. Unfortunately, cyber-criminals are always coming up with new domain names and methods to spam unsuspecting sites with suspicious URLs. It is a good practice to stay regularly up to date with the latest spam domains and check them very well.

Block Adcash(.)com Referral Spam Completely

To block referral spam that contains Adcash(.)com web links it is advisable to use unconventional spam blocking techniques. In the after-mentioned instructions we have provided several methods we believe may be sufficient to stop Adcash(.)com URLs spam from further spreading on your computer. However bear in mind that Adcash(.)com is a legitimate company that provides online advertising services and it is your own decision whether to block the main domain or not:

Method 1: Filtering Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs Spam in Google Analytics:

Step 1: Click on the ‘Admin’ tab on your GA web page.
Step 2: Choose which ‘View’ is to be filtered and then click the ‘Filters’ button.
Step 3: Click on ‘New Filter’.
Step 4: Write a name, such as ‘Spam Referrals’.
Step 5: On Filter Type choose Custom Filter –>Exclude Filter –> Field: Campaign Source–> Filter Pattern. Then on the Pattern, enter the domain name – Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs Step 6: Select Views to Apply Filter.
Step 7: Save the filter, by clicking on the ‘Save’ button.
You are done! Congratulations!

Also, make sure you check out these several methods to help you further block out this referrer spam from Google Analytics:

More Methods To Stop Spam Bots and Spiders In Google Analytics

We have also researched the following methods to remove this spam:

Method 2: Block Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs from your server.

In case you have a server that is Apache HTTP Server, you may want to try the following commands to block Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs domains in the .htaccess file:

RewriteEngine on

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ – [F,L]

Also here is a web link to some spam URLs being blacklisted from other servers:

Ultimate Referrer Blacklist by Perishablepress.com

Disclaimer: This type of domain blocking in Apache servers has not yet been tested and it should be done by experienced professionals. Backup is always recommended. Furhtermore, it is up to the user to decide whether or not to block the domain or no. Some domain names may be legitimate and restrict users access to share them and this should be taken into consideration as well. We remind you that Adcash.com is a legitimate service that provides advertisements to third-party web-sites. It is up to you to decide whether to block the URLs advertised or the whole domain.

Method 3 – Stop Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs Via WordPress

There is a method outlined by security researchers online that uses WordPress plugins to block referrer spams from sites. There are many plugins that help deal with referrer spam, simply do a google search. We have currently seen one particular plugin reported to work, called WP-Ban, but bear in mind that you may find an equally good or better. WP-Ban has the ability to block users based on their IP address and other information such as the URL, for example.

Also, in case you feel like you may have clicked and been redirected to one of the domains mentioned in the spam message, and you believe your system may be compromised, you should scan your computer with a particular anti-malware tool. Downloading such software will also make sure your computer is safe against any future intrusions as well.

Spy Hunter scanner will only detect the threat. If you want the threat to be automatically removed, you need to purchase the full version of the anti-malware tool.Find Out More About SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool / How to Uninstall SpyHunter

Ventsislav Krastev

Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.

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• Windows
• Mac OS X
• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari
• Internet Explorer
• Stop Push Pop-ups

How to Remove Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs from Windows.

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Step 1: Scan for Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1.1 Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

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It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

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1.2 After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

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1.3 After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.

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1.4 After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the 'Next' button.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

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Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode

2.1 Hold Windows key + R

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2.2 The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.

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2.3 Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK".

Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

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2.4 When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.

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2.5 You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.

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Step 3: Uninstall Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs and related software from Windows

Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:

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3.1 Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.

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3.2 In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.

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3.3 This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press "Uninstall" Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.

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Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs on Your PC.

The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:

4.1 Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.

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4.2 When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.

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4.3 You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.

Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.

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Video Removal Guide for Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs (Windows).

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Get rid of Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs from Mac OS X.

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Step 1: Uninstall Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs and remove related files and objects

1.1 Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:

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1.2 Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:

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1.3 In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

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1.4 Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.

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1.5 In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.

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1.6 Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference.

Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.

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1.7 Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:

• Go to Finder.
• In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
• Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
• If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.

In case you cannot remove Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs via Step 1 above:

In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:

2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:

3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.

You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:

→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.

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Step 2: Scan for and remove Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs files from your Mac

When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.

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Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs:

Download

SpyHunter for Mac

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Video Removal Guide for Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs (Mac)

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Remove Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs from Google Chrome.

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Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

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Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"

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Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.

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Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

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Erase Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs from Mozilla Firefox.

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Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:

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Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.

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Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"

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Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

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Uninstall Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs from Microsoft Edge.

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Step 1: Start Edge browser.

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Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.

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Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".

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Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.

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Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.

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Remove Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs from Safari

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Step 1: Start the Safari app.

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Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.

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Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".

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Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.

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Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.

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Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.

A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs will be removed.

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How to Reset Safari
IMPORTANT: Before resetting Safari make sure you back up all your saved passwords within the browser in case you forget them.

Start Safari and then click on the gear leaver icon.

Click the Reset Safari button and you will reset the browser.

Eliminate Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs from Internet Explorer.

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Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.

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Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'

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Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.

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Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.

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Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.

Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers

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Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome

To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:

Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.

Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:

Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:

Step 4: Open “Notifications”:

Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:

Remove Push Notifications on Firefox

Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.

Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":

Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”

Stop Push Notifications on Opera

Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.

Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.

Step 3: Open Notifications:

Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):

Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari

Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.

Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".

Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs-FAQ

What Is Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs?

The Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs threat is adware or browser redirect virus.

It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.

The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.

What Are the Symptoms of Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs?

There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:

Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.

Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.

Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.

Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.

Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.

If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.

What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?

According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your device can be rogue antivirus software, adware, browser hijackers, clickers, fake optimizers and any forms of PUPs.

What to Do If I Have a "virus" like Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs?

With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:

Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.

Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.

Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.

Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.

Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.

Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.

Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.

Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.

Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.

If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.

How Does Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs Work?

Once installed, Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs can collect data using trackers. This data is about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. It is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.

Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.

Is Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs Malware?

The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.

Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.

About the Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs Research

The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.

How did we conduct the research on Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs?

Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the Referral Spam using Adcash(.)com URLs threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.