Why pages like progressstream.com cannot be trusted

What is progressstream[.]com?

progressstream[.]com is one of many deceptive websites (scams) that are used to trick visitors into downloading and installing a dubious application. This particular web page displays fake virus notifications and encourages visitors to remove 'detected viruses' immediately.

These sites are often opened by potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) that are already installed on systems. Therefore, people do not visit sites such as progressstream[.]com intentionally. Furthermore, installed PUAs are usually designed to display ads and record information.

progressstream[.]com displays a pop-up window stating that the device is infected with four harmful viruses that were installed through an adult website that the user apparently visited recently. These viruses will damage the mobile telephone's SIM card and corrupt data such as contacts, photos, applications, and so on.

Visitors are encouraged to remove the detected viruses with a free application, which can be downloaded through this website. Do not trust progressstream[.]com or apps that are promoted through this or other similar websites. Therefore, you should avoid/ignore these web pages.

Apps that open deceptive sites such as progressstream[.]com are often designed to display unwanted ads and gather data.

They display coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and other ads that, if clicked, usually lead to web pages such as progressstream[.]com, or other untrustworthy sites. In some cases, people who click the ads are tricked into downloading or installing PUAs.

Furthermore, installed PUAs might gather data such as users' IP addresses, geolocations, entered search queries, URLs of opened pages, and so on. Developers send the information to third parties (potentially cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. There is a strong possibility that some of the collected information might include personal details.

Threat Summary:

Name	progressstream.com pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	According to this website, the device is infected with four harmful viruses.
Detection Names	Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	138.201.18.153
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 progressstream[.]com include bestlandcn[.]com, mobileapplesecurity[.]com, and safari-protection[.]com. Generally, these websites are used to trick people into downloading and installing unwanted apps by displaying fake notifications relating to 'detected viruses' or other problems.

PUAs also have many similarities. They generate revenue for their developers by serving ads and gathering various data. Most PUAs are useless for regular users. We strongly recommend that you uninstall all PUAs immediately.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

In most cases, developers try to trick people into downloading or installing PUAs by including them into the download or installation set-ups of various programs (usually freeware). Information about these additional downloads/installations is placed in setup options such as "Custom", "Advanced", and so on.

People who fail to check and change them often allow PUAs to be download and/or installed with the chosen software. This deceptive distribution method of unwanted software is called "bundling", however, clicked intrusive advertisements can also lead to unintentional downloads or installations.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Download software from official, trustworthy websites and avoid using third party downloaders, torrent clients, eMule (other Peer-to-Peer networks), dubious websites, or other similar sources. Check "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings included in any download or installation setup, especially if the software is free.

Deselect offers to download and/or install any unwanted applications. Advertisements that are displayed on untrustworthy websites (i.e., relating to pornography, gambling, adult dating, and so on) should not be trusted or clicked. These ads often redirect people to untrustworthy, potentially malicious websites or start the download/installation processes of unwanted apps.

If these redirects happen often and/or advertisements appear regularly, check the list of apps installed on the browser and remove all unwanted applications (extensions, plug-ins, add-ons).

The same applies to programs of this kind that are installed on the computer. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in a pop-up from progressstream[.]com:

Your system is heavily damaged by Four viruses!

We detect that your {device_brand} {device_model} is 28.1% DAMAGED because of four harmful viruses from recent adult sites. Soon it will damage your phone's SIM card and will corrupt your contacts, photos, data, applications , etc.

If you do not remove the virus now , it will cause severe damage to your phone . Here's what you need to do (step by step ) :

Step 1: Tap the button and install App for free!

Step 2: Open the App to speed up and...

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 progressstream[.]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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