Help Congratulations Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e User!

[drcarl]

Greetings,

I MAY have recently solved the full-screen pop-up ads that have been plaguing me when I turn on my tablet after some time (like overnight). Now, I am attempting to kill the Congratulations pop-up box that is even specifying my device (Tab S5e).

I know it's a scam, and have not clicked through to win anything. I don't know if it is site-based (like a site I visited) or if my device is compromised.

I have run Malwarebytes' program as well as the paid free-trial mobile security app from Trend Micro. I've searched the interwebs to no avail. Too often the remediation is for desktops, or ones that have a "wrong" step (like go to "apps" then "downloads" - there is no such thing as "downloads under apps).

I'd like to know what to do next, besides the dreaded factory reset. I'll give a $1,000 Walmart gift card to the trillionth answer - lol

TIA

 

[ocnbrze]

i would start by uninstalling all of your apps and its data and cache. do it one by one until you find your culprit. you can even backup your apps and data with smart switch. just be careful when re-installing your apps as you could re-introduce the adware again.

 

[drcarl]

Thanks for the SmartSwitch tip. I have 300 apps, so I'll...sheesh...take them out 10 at a time, or maybe all of them and reinstall the ones I actually use one by one... The "congratulations" pop-up is so infrequent I fear it'll take me forever to isolate it. I'll look up how to backup with SmartSwitch. Again, thanks.

 

[ocnbrze]

Thanks for the SmartSwitch tip. I have 300 apps, so I'll...sheesh...take them out 10 at a time, or maybe all of them and reinstall the ones I actually use one by one... The "congratulations" pop-up is so infrequent I fear it'll take me forever to isolate it. I'll look up how to backup with SmartSwitch. Again, thanks.

start with the most recent apps at the time this started to happen and work from there.

 

[drcarl]

start with the most recent apps

Good idea. Thanks. (Update: the full-screen pop-up ads are back, too - boo hoo)

 

[drcarl]

Since a few days have passed without ANY pop-ups or "congratulations, you won" notices, I thought to stop by and share what appears to have worked for me.

• Back-up entire Galaxy Tab S5e to PC with SmartSwitch (installed on both the PC and the tablet.
• Reset Tablet to factory settings.
• Restore everything from PC to Tablet.

Easy peazy.
Keeping fingers crossed.

THANKS!

 

[drcarl]

Easy peazy.
Keeping fingers crossed.

THANKS!

UPDATE. It's been weeks now and the fix is in. It seems to have worked!