How to remove apps that promote initiatefresh.com
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is initiatefresh[.]com?
initiatefresh[.]com is the address of a rogue website that opens other untrusted pages or displays dubious content. There are many websites similar to initiatefresh[.]com on the internet including, for example, thenickelpress[.]com, behavingsoping[.]club, and superinterestinginfo[.]info.
Commonly, these sites are opened by potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) that are installed on browsers and computers. I.e., people to not often visit these websites intentionally. Note that PUAs can also gather browsing data and display intrusive advertisements.
Typically, PUAs promote addresses such as initiatefresh[.]com by regularly opening the URLs in a new browser window or tab. When visited, they load dubious content or redirect visitors to about two or three untrusted, potentially malicious sites. The way these pages operate depends on visitors' geolocations.
Another issue with website such as initiatefresh[.]com is that they often use 'clickbait' techniques to deceive visitors into allowing them to show notifications. This particular site suggests that visitors can continue watching a video by clicking the "Allow" button. When clicked, this allows web pages such as initiatefresh[.]com to show notifications.
These notifications generally contain dubious advertisements, links to untrusted websites, and so on. As mentioned, PUAs often collect information relating to users' browsing activity. For examples, IP addresses, entered search queries, addresses of visited websites, geolocation, etc.
In some cases, they record personal details, which are sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) and misused to generate revenue in other ways. Furthermore, PUAs often feed people with intrusive advertisements.
They serve coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and others that, when clicked, open dubious websites or download/install unwanted applications by executing certain scripts. In summary, PUAs can cause problems relating to browsing safety, online privacy or even identity theft. Therefore, never trust or download any PUAs and remove them immediately.
Name | Ads by Initiatefresh.com |
Threat Type | Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads. |
Serving IP Address | 184.106.55.68 |
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. |
Generally, PUAs are advertised as useful applications that supposedly deliver various features, improve the browsing experience, etc. In fact, few function as advertised and are designed only to help the developers to generate revenue by promoting dubious websites, collecting data and serving advertisements.
How did adware install on my computer?
Developers commonly distribute potentially unwanted apps using a dubious marketing method called "bundling. They include PUAs into the download/installation set-ups of other software as 'additional offers' and hope that users will not decline them. Generally, these offers can be declined through "Advanced", "Custom" and other similar settings.
Many people fail to check and and change these settings - by leaving default settings unchanged, they allow included PUAs to infiltrate. PUAs are also downloaded and installed when users click deceptive ads that run certain scripts.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Files and software should be downloaded from official web pages and through direct links. Other channels and sources such as third party downloaders (and installers) Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), unofficial websites, etc., are often used to distribute unwanted applications.
Check all "Custom", "Advanced" and other settings, and decline offers to download and install unwanted software before completing the process. Avoid unwanted downloads and installations by avoiding (and not clicking) intrusive advertisements that appear on untrusted websites.
Remove suspicious, unknown, unwanted extensions, add-ons and plug-ins installed on the browser, and software of this kind that is installed on the operating system. 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 initiatefresh[.]com 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:
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Quick menu:
- What is Ads by Initiatefresh.com?
- 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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