Do not trust the preciseeditor.pw scam website

What is preciseeditor[.]pw?

preciseeditor[.]pw is a deceptive website designed to trick people into installing unwanted software through a fake Adobe Flash Player updater. Its setup contains MyCouponsmart adware, the SearchMine browser hijacker and a rogue application called Mac Cleanup Pro.

Both of these apps are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), since people usually do not download or install software of this kind intentionally. We strongly advise against trusting pages such as preciseeditor[.]pw or downloading software from them.

Once visited, preciseeditor[.]pw displays a pop-up window stating that the installed Adobe Flash Player version does not include the latest updates and needs to be updated. To update it, visitors are urged to click the "Update" button.

The preciseeditor[.]pw site then downloads an installation setup of a fake Adobe Flash Player that contains the aforementioned PUAs (MyCouponsmart, Mac Cleanup Pro and SearchMine).

It does not update the Adobe Flash Player. Browser hijackers are apps that change browser settings (usually assigning them to the address of the default search engine, homepage, and new tab) to promote fake search engines and gather browsing data (IP addresses, geolocations, entered search queries, addresses of visited websites, and so on).

In most cases, people behind these apps sell the data to third parties who misuse it to generate revenue. Sometimes browser hijackers record sensitive details. The developers might share these details with cyber criminals. Adware is a type of software that feeds users with intrusive, often deceptive advertisements such as coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and so on.

It is not safe to click these ads, since they often lead to untrustworthy websites or cause download/installation of unwanted, potentially malicious software. Like browser hijackers, adware-type apps are often designed to gather various information.

Having apps of this type installed on the browser/operating system might lead to unwanted downloads, installations, problems relating to browsing safety, privacy, and so on. It is possible that some users might become victims of identity theft.

We strongly recommend that you uninstall all browser hijackers, adware and other PUAs from the browser and computer immediately. Never trust websites such as preciseeditor[.]pw

Threat Summary:

Name	preciseeditor.pw pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	This website claims that the installed version of Adobe Flash Player is out of date.
Detection Names	Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	157.185.177.205
Promoted Unwanted Application	MyCouponsmart, SearchMine, Mac Cleanup Pro.
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.

More examples of websites that are similar to preciseeditor[.]pw include mainsiteofupgradenow[.]best, mainsiteofupdatenow[.]best and centersourceoffreeupgrade[.]best. Unfortunately, there are many more.

Typically, these deceptive web pages suggest that the installed version of Adobe Flash Player is outdated, and does not include the latest security updates, etc. It encourages users to update it through a fake, unofficial updater. In most cases, these updaters install adware, browser hijackers and other PUAs, however, they might also be used to distribute malware.

People often arrive at sites such as preciseeditor[.]pw inadvertently, since they are redirected to them by PUAs already installed on browsers and/or operating systems.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

People often download and install PUAs (adware, browser hijackers, and other unwanted apps) unintentionally. This usually happens when they click deceptive ads that run certain scripts or download/install software that has PUAs included into the setup. The latter distribution method is called "bundling".

When developers distribute PUAs in this way, they include PUAs into the download and/or installation set-ups of other software.

Typically, additional downloads and installations are listed in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar parts of the set-ups. PUAs are often downloaded and installed through the set-ups of other programs when people leave the settings unchecked and unchanged.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Avoid downloading or installing software using third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks (e.g., torrent clients, eMule), unofficial websites, and other similar channels/tools.

Software and files should be downloaded only from official websites and via direct download links. Check "Advanced", "Custom", "Manual" and other similar settings of any download and installation setup, especially if the software is free. Decline any offers to download or install PUAs.

Do not click intrusive ads, especially if they are displayed on unofficial, dubious web pages. These ads often open potentially malicious pages or cause unwanted downloads or installations. Deceptive ads might appear on legitimate websites as well.

To stop a browser from opening dubious pages automatically (and/or ads from appearing on visited websites), remove all unwanted, unknown extensions, add-ons and plug-ins that are installed. It might also be necessary to do the same with software 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.

Text presented in the pop-up window of preciseeditor.pw scam web page:

Adobe Flash Player Installer

The version of "Adobe Flash Player" on your system does not include the latest flash update and has been blocked. To continue using "Adobe Flash Player", download an update version.

Restore Update OK

Screenshot of the fake Adobe Flash Player installer:

Screenshot of this installer with more unwanted apps within (MyCouponsmart, SearchMine and Mac Cleanup Pro):

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 preciseeditor.pw pop-up?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

▼ Show Discussion