Disturbing Advert Tracking - Advice sought

[Brit70053]

To be clear, this is not a complaint about adverts actually appearing on RMWeb, I've stated before I understand that the Ads fund the running of the site and I have no problem with that.

              The situation :- Yesterday I answered a phone call to my landline from an unknown, but apparently fairly local number and experienced the all too familiar scenario of :- initial silence followed by the ambient noise of a call centre, this immediately put me on guard and when a lady said "Hello", the intonation of her accent heightened my suspicion that this was a scam call and I hung up.

                                  I subsequently looked up the incoming number on the 'Who Called me? website, which I've used previously in similar situations.

              The genuine number apparently belongs to a Student Accommodation Letting organisation in Newcastle Upon Tyne, in which I would have absolutely no interest, so the call was, at its most innocent a 'wrong number' or, as I more strongly suspect, a scam/ phishing attempt from a clone of that number.

 

                                    Shortly afterwards, I logged into RMWeb and experienced the usual sequence of Adverts, the video clip on the right of the screen, followed by the 'All masking' advert when I'd selected the first topic I wished to read. 

                                     I was disturbed by the fact that the advert displayed was for the very same Student Accommodation service that my 'Who Called Me' enquiry had revealed to be the legitimate owner of the phone number I appeared to have been called from. I had not visited their website or made any other on line enquiry related to them.

                                   This experience was repeated when I logged into RMWeb this evening.

                                   I may be being slightly paranoid about this, but would appreciate if anyone can offer some explanation/ re assurance about this, to me rather un nerving experience.

I'm used to ads appearing in all sorts of circumstances if for instance I've visited a web site or even bought a product on line, then, rather ridiculously, have the same product relentlessly pushed in adverts, but not in the circumstances I've described. If I'd got an ad for 'Who Called Me ?' I'd have understood.

 

                                Any offer of explanation will be gratefully received.

 

                                 Regards,

 

                                                  John

[AY Mod]

4 minutes ago, Brit70053 said:

but would appreciate if anyone can offer some explanation/ re assurance about this,

 

It could depend on several things to be honest; the privacy settings you made when prompted on RMweb, the privacy settings chosen when you looked the number up (that's the most likely in this scenario) or any browser privacy settings you've chosen.

 

I wouldn't worry too much really, it's a case of Google serving an ad to you on here based on browsing history, it's very unlikely anyone has got any personal data in such instances but you may still see some ads from the student accommodation business until you browse something else that someone wants to serve you an ad for.

[Brit70053]

Thanks for your prompt and reassuring reply Andy, there's just so much suspicious stuff goes on, the mind of advancing years can go a bit into overdrive. So much simpler to comprehend for someone such as yourself who understands the technicalities of all this than for this simple soul educated in the ways of pen, paper and effective ex directory telephone numbers.

 

Regards,

 

                  John   

[MJI]

This is why i do all searching in private mode.

 

I have seen very creepy stuff happening to some users like this

 

I kerp normal usefor forums and trusted sites

[kevinlms]

On 27/05/2022 at 04:58, AY Mod said:

 

It could depend on several things to be honest; the privacy settings you made when prompted on RMweb, the privacy settings chosen when you looked the number up (that's the most likely in this scenario) or any browser privacy settings you've chosen.

 

I wouldn't worry too much really, it's a case of Google serving an ad to you on here based on browsing history, it's very unlikely anyone has got any personal data in such instances but you may still see some ads from the student accommodation business until you browse something else that someone wants to serve you an ad for.

I agree, it's a case of Google sending you ads for subject matter that you have 'shown an interest in'.

It gets annoying when for days after you have purchased an item, you get more ads for exactly the same item, that you have ZERO interest in buying a 2nd. Worse when they start appearing for a lower price, than you just paid!

It's just Google and you'd think they would stop sending similar ads after you have stopped searching. Perhaps their algorithms need fixing?

[Brit70053]

Thanks for your interest and comments MJI and Kevinlms. It was the fact I hadn't actually visited the Student Accommodation website that unnerved me, If I'd got ads for 'Who Called Me' I wouldn't have been bothered as I had used their site.

Regards,

                 John

[MJI]

Shared PCs, browser accounts, all can cause weird stuff.

 

Advertiser Tracking Cookies are the worst.

 

I am also going to recommend a way to stop it on here.

 

Premium Membership £12 and all google tracking appears to stop

[kevinlms]

4 hours ago, MJI said:

Shared PCs, browser accounts, all can cause weird stuff.

 

Advertiser Tracking Cookies are the worst.

 

I am also going to recommend a way to stop it on here.

 

Premium Membership £12 and all google tracking appears to stop

It's something I may do later this year. Although it's not so bad with the TDIH, rather than those horrible and repetitive videos, that went for months.

 

Spoke too soon, now I'm getting ads for Hattons!

Edited May 31, 2022 by kevinlms
An update

[Brit70053]

Well I have done it, paid my £12 and got Premium Membership, all pretty painless apart from delayed verification code from Bank and now I have the culture shock of no ads (Apart from wholly understandable BRM ) cluttering my screen and distracting me.

Thanks all, but especially Andy Y for the introduction of 'Premium'.

 

Regards,

 

               John