Virus Scanner POP-UP Virus

What is Virus Scanner?

"Virus Scanner" is a fake warning message displayed by a deceptive website. This site's URL is typically used to promote spam email campaigns - messages state that users' email clients are infected and encourage them to immediately perform a scan and remove all issues.

In some cases, however, users are redirected to this website by various potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that infiltrate systems without permission. As well as causing redirects, potentially unwanted programs deliver intrusive advertisements and gather various sensitive information.

The website states that users' emails are infected and encourages them to scan them. To achieve this, they must first sign-in. Be aware, however, that this is a scam. Cyber criminals collect personal information (emails addresses and passwords) by tricking gullible users into signing-in. Entered information is immediately saved on a remote server.

Furthermore, cyber criminals misuse collected information to generate revenue - they might steal victims' identities, perform online purchases, transfer money, and so on. Therefore, entering email information on the website that displays "Virus Scanner" message can lead to serious privacy issues and significant financial loss.

If you have already entered your personal data, you should immediately change passwords of your email and other accounts that are registered with the same email address (cyber criminals might have used your email address to restore accounts' passwords or to log into websites such as PayPal, Facebook, and so on).

You should also leave the "Virus Scanner" site immediately, however, note that some rogue sites employ scripts that prevent users from closing browsing tabs/windows. In these cases, terminate the browser using Task Manager or simply reboot the system. After re-running the browser, do not restore the previous session, otherwise the deceptive sites are also reopened.

As mentioned above, PUPs deliver various intrusive advertisements. To achieve this, developers employ tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site. Therefore, ads often conceal underlying website content, thereby significantly diminishing the browsing experience.

In addition, they can redirect to malicious sites and even execute scripts that stealthily download/install malware or other PUPs. Therefore, even a single accidental click might result in high-risk computer infections. Another important issue is information tracking.

Research shows that many PUPs record Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, website URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, keystrokes, and other collected data that includes personal details.

The data is shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who generate revenue by misusing private information. Therefore, data tracking can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. For these reasons, we strongly advise you to uninstall all potentially unwanted programs immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Virus Scanner" virus
Threat Type	Adware, Unwanted ads, Pop-up Virus
Symptoms	Seeing advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing. Intrusive pop-up ads. Decreased Internet browsing speed.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers.
Damage	Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

The Internet is full of deceptive websites that display fake errors. For example, User Access Suspended, ERROR 268d3x8938, Your McAfee Subscription Has Expired, and many others. All claim that the system is damaged (e.g., infected, missing files, or similar), however, unlike "Virus Scanner", these errors do not ask to you log-in.

They encourage users to call fake 'tech support' (and pay for services that are not required) or install fake anti-virus/anti-spyware tools (and purchase 'full versions'). Potentially unwanted programs also share many similarities.

By offering a wide range of "useful features", they attempt to give the impression of legitimacy, they are designed only to generate revenue for the developers.

Rather than enabling the functions promised, these programs cause unwanted redirects, gather sensitive information, and deliver intrusive advertisements, thereby posing a direct threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety.

How did potentially unwanted programs install on my computer?

Some PUPs have official download websites, however, most infiltrate systems without users’ permission, since developers proliferate them using intrusive advertisements and a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". Developers hide "bundled" applications within "Custom/Advanced" settings (or other sections) of the download/installation processes.

Furthermore, many users are very likely to rush these procedures and skip steps. In addition, they often click advertisements without understanding the possible consequences. This behavior often leads to inadvertent installation of PUPs - users expose their systems to risk of various infections and compromise their privacy.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior. The key to safety is caution. Therefore, pay close attention during download/installation processes, and when browsing the Internet. You should select "Custom/Advanced" settings and closely analyze each window of the download/installation dialogs.

Opt-out of all additionally-included programs and decline offers to download/install them. Download software from official sources only, using direct download links. Third party downloaders/installers are used to proliferate PUPs (the "bundling" method), and thus, these tools should not be used.

Note that intrusive ads typically seem legitimate, since developers invest many resources into their design, however, they often lead to gambling, pornography, adult dating, and other dubious sites. If you encounter these ads, immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins.

If your computer is already infected with PUPs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Virus Scanner?
• STEP 1. Uninstall deceptive applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove adware from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue extensions from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Removal of potentially unwanted programs:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window, look for any suspicious/recently-installed applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted program, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Remove rogue extensions from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently-installed suspicious browser extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the "virus scanner" virus, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and remove them.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the "virus scanner" virus, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions", in the opened window, remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with "virus scanner" virus removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....

In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the "virus scanner" virus, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.

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