Remove apps that promote the "Google Chrome Blocked for Security Reasons" scam

What is the "Google Chrome Blocked for Security Reasons" scam?

In affiliate programs, individuals have the opportunity to make money by promoting products or services created by other companies - they can receive a commission for each product that was purchased via their affiliate link. This website promotes legitimate antivirus programs, however, its promotion strategy is based on deception.

Note that users do not often visit such web pages intentionally - they are opened through other untrusted sites, deceptive ads, or by potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) that are installed on browsers and/or computers.

This website displays a notification stating that the Google Chrome browser was blocked for security reasons. It suggests this was caused by an advertisement that was displayed by installed viruses. The main purpose of this web page is to deceive users into believing that they need to update their antivirus software, which can supposedly be done by clicking the "Proceed..." button.

In fact, the button opens affiliate links for antivirus products. At the time of research, it opened a legitimate Norton antivirus website. There is nothing wrong with purchasing software from legitimate websites, however, do not financially support scammers by purchasing products via their affiliate links.

As mentioned above, deceptive websites such as this one are not often visited by people intentionally. Browsers open them when PUAs are installed. Note that PUAs can be designed to gather IP addresses, geolocations, addresses of opened pages, entered search queries, and other browsing-related information (and even private, sensitive details).

PUAs can also display advertisements that open dubious websites or even run scripts designed to download and install unwanted software. Examples of ads served by PUAs include coupons, banners, surveys, and pop-ups.

Threat Summary:

Name	Google Chrome Blocked for Security Reasons scam
Threat Type	Scam
Fake Claim	A computer is blocked due to detected viruses.
Related Domain	virus-alert[.]press
Detection Names (virus-alert[.]press)	Fortinet (Phishing), Netcraft (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal).
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

There are various types of scam websites on the internet. Some examples are "Windows Error Code: WIN.DLL0151930", "Amazon Loyalty Program" and "Important Security Alert!". Users do not often visit them intentionally. If a web browser opens untrusted web pages or various ads appear on all web pages opened, it is very likely that PUAs are installed.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Unwanted downloads and installations often occur when developers distribute PUAs by integrating them into the download/installation setups of other programs as "extra offers". This distribution method is known as "bundling". The offers can be declined in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings of the setups (or by unticking certain checkboxes).

Many users fail to check and change these settings (or untick the checkboxes), thereby allowing PUAs to infiltrate together with the desired software. PUAs are also downloaded and installed by clicking deceptive advertisements (usually on untrusted sites) that execute certain scripts.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research all software before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule), and other third party downloaders commonly offer harmful and bundled content, and are therefore untrusted and should be avoided.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, however, they can redirect to dubious and malicious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others).

If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

The appearance of Google Chrome Blocked for Security Reasons pop-up scam (GIF):

Text presented in this website:

Warning!
Google Chrome Blocked for Security Reasons
Threat code: 0x120E7A2C
We have found a frequently displayed annoying ad
To disable this ad and remove the viruses showing it, an antivirus must be updated immediately!
Required Immediatly: Click "Proceed" then on the next page click "Subscribe Now"" to download and install the latest version of antivirus software.
Proceed...
Do not ignore this safety alert. If you close this page before updating an antivirus, your computer access will be disabled to prevent future damage to our network.

Send threat report to Microsoft Security Team (Recommended)

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:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner 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. 7 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 Google Chrome Blocked for Security Reasons scam?
• 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 Windows.

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 Windows) - 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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