Do not trust software promoted by protect-connection.com

What is protect-connection[.]com?

protect-connection[.]com is a deceptive website running various scams, primarily targeting iPhone users. At the time of research, this page promoted two different schemes: one claimed that visitors' devices were infected with high-risk viruses; the other implied that they must download/install the promoted VPN application.

The purpose of these scams is to endorse untrusted and possibly malicious software. For example, they promote fake anti-viruses, adware, browser hijackers, and other Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs). Note that some of these schemes proliferate Trojans, ransomware, cryptominers, and other malware.

Users typically access sites like protect-connection[.]com via mistyped URLs, redirects caused by intrusive advertisements, and installed PUAs.

The researched scam variant run on protect-connection[.]com claims that the visitor's device has been infected with eighteen viruses. The infections have supposedly originated from adult-oriented websites. Should the fake viruses be left unaddressed, the SIM card may become corrupted, saved contacts deleted, and other damage to the device might be caused.

The scheme instructs users to download/install and run the endorsed application to remove the nonexistent malware. The other scam promoted on this web page urges visitors to protect their internet connections by downloading/installing the recommended VPN app.

This scheme then provides basic download/installation and use instructions. To summarize, by trusting the protect-connection[.]com website content, users are likely to download/install and/or purchase useless and potentially harmful software.

The presence of such applications on devices can lead to system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft. PUAs may seem legitimate and offer a variety of "useful" functionalities, however, despite how good the features may sound, they usually do not work.

Fake anti-virus tools are a prime example of this kind of PUA. They require activation (i.e., purchase) to perform the advertised features, yet following activation, they remain nonoperational. PUAs often have unmentioned, dangerous capabilities. Some can force-open deceptive and malicious sites (e.g., protect-connection[.]com).

Adware type PUAs deliver intrusive ad (e.g., pop-ups, banners, coupons, etc.). Once clicked, the delivered ads redirect to dangerous pages and may be able to stealthily download/install software. Browser hijacker types make modifications to browser settings and limit/deny access to them to promote fake search engines.

The promoted web searchers seldom provide genuine search results, and so they tend to redirect to Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other legitimate search engines. Furthermore, most PUAs (regardless of type) can track data.

These apps monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, web pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and collect sensitive information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations, and even personally identifiable details). PUA developers monetize this information by sharing it with and/or selling it to third-parties.

Therefore, to ensure device integrity and user privacy, all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be eliminated immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	protect-connection.com pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus
Fake Claim	One variant claims visitors' devices are infected, the other pushes them to download/install the promoted VPN app.
Promoted Unwanted Application	Various dubious apps
Serving IP Address	142.93.25.104
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.

protected-connect.com, support-notify.space, wcsoft.link, and system-protection-required.com are some examples of websites similar to protect-connection[.]com. Schemes akin to those promoted by these pages include "(3) Viruses have been detected on your iPhone", "Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged", "Fake Flash Player Update", "VPN Update", and so on.

The internet is full of misleading, deceptive, and malicious material. Popular scam models are: warnings that the system is infected or at risk, alerts that a piece of crucial software is outdated or missing, fake prize giveaways and raffles, "amazing" deals and offers, etc. Due to the widespread nature of these scams, you are strongly advised to exercise caution when browsing.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs are often downloaded/installed together with other products. This deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

By rushing through download/installation of software (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using "Quick/Express" settings, etc.) many users risk unintentionally allowing bundled content into their devices. Intrusive advertisements proliferate PUAs as well. When clicked, the ads can execute scripts to download/install these applications without users' permission.

Some PUAs have "official" download web pages from which they can be downloaded.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research all software before download/installation or purchase. All downloads must be done from official and verified sources, since dubious channels such as unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders commonly offer deceptive or bundled content.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive ads may seem normal and harmless, however, they can redirect to various dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others).

If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and remove any suspicious 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 macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in one of the scams run by the protect-connection[.]com website:

Your device has been infected with 18 viruses after visiting an Adult website.

 

If the problem is not resolved immediately, viruses will damage your device, harm the SIM card and delete all your contacts. Here's what you need to do:

 

Step 1: Tap the button below and install Protectily app from the AppStore!

 

Step 2: Open the application and run cleaning procedure!

 

1 minutes and 18 seconds

 

[Clean Device]

Appearance of the other scam run by protect-connection[.]com:

Text presented in this scam variant:

Install Hotspot Shield Vpn App From the Appstore For Free and Protect Your Internet Connection!
How to Protect Your Connection:

 

Step 1. Click on the Button “Download” Below and Install the Application from the Appstore (for Free)

 

Step 2. Open the Installed Application and Protect Your Internet Connection

DOWNLOAD

Appearance of the application promoted by this scam variant:

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 "protect-connection[.]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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