How to uninstall apps that promote iossecure.com and similar web pages

What is iossecure[.]com?

Iossecure[.]com is a scam website designed to promote VPN PROtrack (Complete protect), and likely, other similar apps. The associated website promotes the app in a deceptive way: it claims that the operating system is infected with viruses and/or the visitor's online activity could be monitored by other parties.

It offers to resolve the problem (remove viruses, protect online privacy) with the aforementioned app. Websites such as iossecure[.]com should never be trusted, since, in most cases, they are opened through other dubious web pages, untrusted advertisements, or by installed potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).

There are at least two variants of iossecure[.]com website: one attempts to trick visitors into believing that the operating system is damaged by six viruses and into installing VPN PROtrack. The complete protection app is apparently designed to remove them.

It also encourages visitors to remove viruses immediately, otherwise their Apple IDs will blocked and all data stored on iCloud will be deleted. Another variant attempts to trick visitors into believing that someone may be monitoring their online activity, and that the app will hide their IP address.

Notifications, virus alerts, etc., on websites such as iossecure[.]com should never be trusted, and apps through them should never be downloaded. If a web browser opens these pages often, this is likely to be due to an installed PUA.

PUAs can promote untrusted sites such as iossecure[.]com, gather information, and serve advertisements. Commonly, PUAs gather details such as IP addresses, geolocations, addresses of visited websites, entered search queries, etc. Some PUAs can also access private, sensitive information.

Furthermore, there is a possibility that the developers will sell the data to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) or misuse it to generate revenue in other ways. PUAs often serve coupons, banners, pop-ups, surveys and other types of ads. When clicked, these can open dubious websites or even run scripts designed to cause download/installation of unwanted software.

Threat Summary:

Name	iossecure.com pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	iOS is infected with viruses, online activity might be monitored by another party.
Serving IP Address	144.76.109.119
Promoted Unwanted Application	VPN PROtrack. Complete protection.
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 pages similar to iossecure[.]com include, for example, vpnbestapp[.]com, dheje[.]xyz and suprotok[.]xyz. In most cases, they attempt to trick users into installing an application, which supposedly removes detected viruses, protects online privacy, etc. These rogue pages should be ignored.

Sites such as iossecure[.]com are promoted by PUAs, which users often download and install inadvertently.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs are commonly distributed by integrating them into the download and/or installation set-ups of other programs, so that a proportion of users inadvertently download and install them together with their chosen software. This distribution method is known as "bundling".

Offers to download and install additionally-included apps usually appear in "Advanced", "Custom" and other settings of the set-ups (where they can usually be declined). Many users fail to check and change these settings, thereby granting permission for PUAs to be downloaded and installed by default.

In addition, unwanted downloads and installations are sometimes caused by clicking deceptive advertisements capable of executing certain scripts.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised NOT to download or install software through untrusted sources, tools such as third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks including torrent clients, eMule, unofficial pages, etc., All software and files should be downloaded from official pages and via direct download links.

Check all "Advanced", "Custom", and "Manual" settings, and decline offers to download or install unwanted apps. Do not click advertisements that appear on dubious pages, since they can open other pages of this kind or even cause unwanted downloads and installations.

Remove any unwanted extensions, add-ons and plug-ins installed on the browser. The same applies to programs of this kind that are installed on the operating system/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 in a pop-up of a desktop version (see screenshot above):

WARNING!
Someone May Be Recording Your Online Activity
Press OK to install an app to protect your device

Screenshot of the background page of a desktop version:

Text in this page:

BackSecurity Apps
WARNING: Someone May Be Recording Your Online Activity!
Due to recent data breaches at Facebook, Banks, Government Agencies, Credit Bureaus, etc. your privacy is now more important than ever!
Every site you visit on your Desktop Desktop with your IP 85.206.10.62 near Unknown may be recorded by your Telia Lietuva, government agencies, for-profit data companies, and potential hackers!
Protect your privacy and hide your IP address NOW
Download the highly-rated VPN app below. It only takes 15 seconds to download. Once you open the app, you are protected!
INSTALL FREE
Step 1: Tap the "INSTALL FREE" button below and download the trusted VPN app from the app store (takes 15 seconds)
Step 2: Open the app to encrypt your IP and browse anonymously
Contact Us | Privacy
Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Screenshot of the mobile version:

Text in this version:

WARNING: Someone May Be Recording Your Online Activity!
Due to recent data breaches at Facebook, Banks, Government Agencies, Credit Bureaus, etc. your privacy is now more important than ever!
Every site you visit on your Desktop Desktop with your IP 85.206.10.62 near Unknown may be recorded by your Telia Lietuva, government agencies, for-profit data companies, and potential hackers!
Protect your privacy and hide your IP address NOW
Download the highly-rated VPN app below. It only takes 15 seconds to download. Once you open the app, you are protected!
INSTALL FREE
Step 1: Tap the "INSTALL FREE" button below and download the trusted VPN app from the app store (takes 15 seconds)

Screenshot of another variant of the mobile version:

Text in this variant:

Your iOS 13.6 is Damaged by VIRUSES!

Mobile Safari browser detected your Apple iPhone is DAMAGED due to 6 harmful VIRUSE from adult sites.

 

Install the latest high trusted VPN client for deleting all of the VIRUSES.

01:53

 

IMPORTANT! If you do not do this, your Apple ID will be blocked in 24 hours and all of the iCloud Data will be deleted.

[CANCEL] [OK]

Screenshot of the website promoting VPN PROtrack. Complete protect:

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 iossecure.com 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.

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