Stopping redirects to/from watchonline.click

What is watchonline[.]click?

Watchonline[.]click is a rogue site, designed to cause undesired redirects to unreliable sites as well as present untrustworthy/malignant content for user consumption. There are thousands of such rogue websites out there (for example, rembrandium.com, dreamteammyfriend.com, newsfrog.me, newsmagic.net, etc.) and they share many similarities in-between.

What is worthy of mention, is that few users happen upon watchonline[.]click willingly. Most are redirected from other dubious sites (precisely, through clicking intrusive adverts therein) or by having it force-opened by PUAs (potentially unwanted applications).

Often, to infiltrate systems said apps do not require explicit user permission. Once successfully installed, they cause unauthorized redirects, run invasive ad campaigns and track data.

Intrusive advertisements, once clicked, spread rogue websites by redirecting to them. PUAs, however, further such sites by forcefully opening new browser tabs/windows and redirecting users to them. The first thing sites akin to watchonline[.]click do - is check visitors' IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, in order to learn their geolocation.

The latter is key to any further course of action. Depending on the geolocation, users are either redirected elsewhere or are presented with questionable/malicious content. The watchonline[.]click website also employs browser notifications, which if allowed - deliver intrusive advert campaigns.

These ads are considered a threat, due to the hazard the sites they redirect to pose. As well as their ability to execute scripts to make rogue downloads/installs of unwanted applications. PUAs can likewise cause redirects. By implementing a variety of tools, they enable third party graphical content.

Hence, the ads they deliver can limit browsing speed and visibility (doing the latter by covering original site content). Another heinous ability that PUAs have is data-tracking. By gathering intel on users' browsing habits, they can find traces of their personal details.

What must be stressed, is that this data is then sold to third parties (possibly, cyber criminals). Therefore, unwanted apps endanger not only device and browser integrity, but can lead to serious privacy and identity issues as well (even culminate in identity theft). If detected, all rogue applications must be removed without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	watchonline.click pop-up
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Serving IP Address	178.62.225.201
Observed Domains	0.watchonline[.]click, 1.watchonline[.]click, 2.watchonline[.]click, 3.watchonline[.]click, 4.watchonline[.]click, 5.watchonline[.]click
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, potentially unwanted applications (adware)
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.

Mostly, PUAs are designed to appear legitimate and harmless. What is more, they can offer a wide array of "useful" features. However, they rarely function as promised and in reality are of no genuine value to users. What is important to understand, is that undesired applications serve only to generate revenue for their developers.

This is done by causing unauthorized redirects, delivering intrusive ad campaigns and gathering information.

How did adware install on my computer?

Typically, PUAs spread through invasive advertisements downloading/installing them without user consent and even knowledge. Installation packs/bundles are also a known cause for unwanted app invasions. Designers of PUAs pack their product together with regular, ordinary software - and inattentive users often fall prey to this tactic.

Aside from appearing legitimate and functional, these applications are concealed within installation terms, "Custom/Advanced" settings and other options - making their detection all the more complicated. In summary, carelessness when browsing and downloading/installing programs can result in PUA presence in one's device.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

To prevent downloading PUAs, users are advised to use only official and verified sources (ideally, via direct download links). Using peer-to-peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.) and other third party downloaders is strongly advised against. Untrustworthy sources are more likely to have their software bundled with unwanted apps.

Another prevention step includes being attentive when installing programs. Users should study terms and possible options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, opt-out from installing/downloading any additional applications/features.

If interested in any supplementary offers - it is necessary to do at least the base amount of research to make sure that said offers are in fact legitimate. Lastly, prudent browsing habits are encouraged to prevent PUA invasions. This requires avoiding suspicious sites and adverts.

As intrusive ads tend to look absolutely innocuous, it can be difficult to avoid them. However a telltale sign of an invasive advert can be the websites it redirects to (gambling, pornography, adult-dating and similarly suspicious sites).

Should users encounter such ads/redirects, it is highly recommended to check their systems for any dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If detected - immediately removed to ensure device and user safety. If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Appearance of watchonline[.]click website (GIF):

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 watchonline.click pop-up?
• STEP 1. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome
• STEP 2. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android)
• STEP 3. Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox
• STEP 4. Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge
• STEP 5. Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS)

Disable unwanted browser notifications:

Video showing how to disable web browser notifications:

Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome:

Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". In the opened window select "Privacy and security", then click on "Site Settings" and choose "Notifications".

In the "Allowed to send notifications" list search for websites that you want to stop receiving notifications from. Click on the three dots icon near the website URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android):

Tap the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". Scroll down, tap on "Site settings" and then "Notifications".

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and tap on them one-by-one. Once the pop-up shows up, select either "Block" or "Remove" (if you tap "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen. Select "Settings" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications".

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and block them using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove Website" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove Website" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge:

Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window and select "Settings". Click on "Cookies and site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications".

Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS):

Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences...". Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane.

Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

How to avoid browser notification spam?

Internet users should be very skeptical when being asked to allow notifications. While this is a useful feature that allows you to receive timely news from websites you like, deceptive marketers frequently abuse it.

Only allow notifications from websites that you fully trust. For added security - use an anti-malware application with a real-time web browsing monitor to block shady websites that tries to trick you into allowing spam notifications. We recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

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