How to stop redirects to thevpnsafety.com

What is thevpnsafety[.]com?

thevpnsafety[.]com is one of many deceptive websites that targets mostly iPhone and iPad users, however, computer users are also targeted. This scam site is designed to display a fake virus message and trick people into installing an application that supposedly removes 'detected threats'.

Neither web pages such as thevpnsafety[.]com nor apps promoted through them can be trusted. Browsers usually open these sites when potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) are installed. Most people do not visit these sites intentionally.

When opened, thevpnsafety[.]com displays a pop-up window which informs visitors that their Apple device is damaged by 39 viruses. It also states that the visitor's SIM card inserted into the Apple device is corrupted, and that details such as contacts, photos, apps, and so on, have been damaged.

The next thevpnsafety[.]com web page states that the device is damaged by 30 harmful viruses that were installed while the user was visiting adult websites. To prevent further damage, visitors are encouraged to remove all detected viruses immediately. This is supposedly done by clicking the "Repair Now" button.

At time of research, this downloaded the AdControl app, however, thevpnsafety[.]com might also be used to promote other apps. In any case, do not trust apps that are advertised through deceptive websites. AdControl is likely to be a legitimate app, since it is available on Apple Store, however, it is promoted through a scam website (scam sites can never be trusted).

Typically, people are forced to visit untrustworthy pages by PUAs installed on browsers or operating systems. Most of these apps record details relating to users.

For example, IP addresses, geolocations, addresses of visited websites, entered search queries, and so on. Developers of PUAs share the information with other parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. This can lead to problems with browsing safety, online privacy, identity theft, etc.

Threat Summary:

Name	thevpnsafety.com pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Serving IP Address	157.230.152.172
Detection Names	CRDF (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Promoted Application	AdControl
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information.
Malware Removal (Mac)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Other examples of web pages similar to thevpnsafety[.]com are safetyvpn[.]net and numberonevpn[.]com. These usually display fake messages relating to detected errors, viruses (and other threats/problems) and encourage visitors to install a dubious application.

Deceptive websites cannot be trusted and you should ignore them. In addition, the PUAs that open them should never be trusted. If PUAs are installed on the system or browser, remove them immediately. They deliver no real value and simply cause problems.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Most people download and install unwanted apps inadvertently when they click deceptive ads (this allows the ads to download or install PUAs) or when software developers include PUAs in set-ups of other software.

To trick people into unwanted downloads/installations through set-ups, developers hide information about additional PUAs in settings such as "Advanced", "Custom", and so on. Unfortunately, many people leave these settings unchecked and unchanged, thereby agreeing by default to download/install additional software (PUAs).

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

To prevent PUAs from being downloaded/installed, download software from official, trustworthy websites. Do not use channels/tools such as third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), etc. Check "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings that are available in download or installation set-ups, especially if the software is free.

If clicked, many intrusive advertisements open dubious websites or cause unwanted downloads/installations. These ads are often displayed on sites relating to gambling, pornography, adult dating, etc. If clicked, they redirect users to various untrustworthy websites.

To stop the browser from showing ads or opening dubious sites, remove all unwanted apps (extensions, add-ons, plug-ins) installed. Also remove any apps of this type installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshot of the thevpnsafety[.]com pop-up window:

Text presented in this page:

ATTENTION - Viruses found!
Your Apple is severely damaged by (39) viruses! Soon your Apple SIM card will be corrupt and it will damage your contacts, photos, data, applications, etc..

Second thevpnsafety[.]com page:

Text in this page (mobile and desktop version):

Your iPhone is severly damaged by (39) viruses
We've noticed that your Apple is 28.1% Damaged by (30) harmful viruses from recent adult sites. It will soon corrupt your iPhone's SIM card and damage your contacts, photos, data, and applications.
4 minutes and 25 seconds
If you don't remove the virus now, it will cause serious damage to your iPhone. Here's what you need to do (step by step):

Step 1: Tap and install AdControl for free on the App Store!

Step 2: Open the application to speed up and fix your browser now!
Repair Now

Appearance of thevpnsafety[.]com scam (GIF):

AdControl download page:

To enable pop-up blocking, fraudulent website warnings, and remove web browsing data in mobile Apple devices, follow these steps:

First, go to "Settings", and then scroll down to find and tap "Safari".

Check if the "Block Pop-ups" and "Fraudulent Website Warning" toggles are enabled. If not, enable them immediately. Then, scroll down and tap "Advanced".

Tap "Website Data" and then "Remove All Website Data".

Instant automatic Mac 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 Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac 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. Limited seven 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 thevpnsafety[.]com?
• STEP 1. Remove PUA related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Potentially unwanted applications removal:

Remove potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select "Applications". In the applications folder, look for "MPlayerX", "NicePlayer", or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove adware-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.

Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

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 extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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