Do not trust "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!"

What is the "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!" scam?

"Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!" is a scam run on various deceptive websites. This scam primarily targets Android users, but it can be accessed via devices with different operating systems. As the scheme's name implies, it claims that users' devices are infected with adware.

Note that no web page can detect threats/issues present on visitors' systems, and all that claim to do so are scams. These schemes aim to promote untrusted software (e.g., fake anti-viruses, adware, browser hijackers, etc.).

At the time of research, "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!" promoted the legitimate McAfee anti-virus, however, it is likely to promote other bogus/dubious products as well.

Typically, users access these deceptive sites through mistyped URLs, or redirects caused by intrusive ads or installed Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs).

"Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!" scam overview

When a website running the "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!" scam is entered, it displays a pop-up window. The text presented in it urges visitors to review the following information attentively.

The message in the background page claims that eight adware-type programs have been detected on users' Android devices. These fake infections will supposedly lead to serious spam issues and reduce the device's battery life.

The scheme then lists steps on how to download/install a product, which will resolve the nonexistent problems. As mentioned, this scam has been observed redirecting to the genuine website of McAfee anti-virus, however, it is highly probable that "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!" will promote unreliable and/or harmful software.

Potentially unwanted applications may seem legitimate and offer "useful" functionalities, which are seldom operational. Fake anti-virus tools are a good example of this - they require activation (i.e., purchase) to perform the promised features, yet following activation, they remain nonoperational.

Furthermore, PUAs can have unmentioned, dangerous capabilities. Some can force-open misleading, deceptive/scam, and malicious sites [e.g., ones promoting "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!"]. Adware-types deliver pop-ups, banners, coupons, and other intrusive ads.

Once clicked, the ads redirect to dangerous pages and can stealthily download/install software. Other PUAs called browser hijackers operate by modifying browser settings to promote fake search engines.

The promoted web searchers rarely can provide search results, and so they redirect to Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other legitimate search engines.

Most PUAs can track data. Information of interest includes: browsing and search engine histories, IP addresses, geolocations, and even personally identifiable details. This sensitive data is then shared with and/or sold to third-parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

In summary, by trusting online scams and installing unwanted apps, users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

Therefore, use official/trusted download sources and remove suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses! pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Scam claims users' devices have been infected with adware.
Related Domains	beautifulwordz[.]com, waterbluey[.]com
Serving IP Address (beautifulwordz[.]com)	94.102.49.124
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.

Similar scam examples

"Your ANTIVIRUS subscription has expired", "Required video codec is not installed on your computer", and "Google Chrome Blocked for Security Reasons" are some examples of scams similar to "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!".

The internet is rife with deceptive content - trusting this can result in serious problems. Popular scam models are: warnings that the device is infected, alerts that software is outdated or missing, fake prize giveaways/raffles, "unbelievable" deals, and so on.

Due to the widespread nature of these online schemes, it is important to exercise caution when browsing.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs are distributed via download/installation set-ups of other products. This deceptive marketing tactic of packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and settings, etc.) increases the risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the system.

Some PUAs have "official" download sites. Intrusive advertisements proliferate these applications as well. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent.

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.

Installed programs must be activated and updated with tools or implemented functions that are provided by the official developers. No other third party, unofficial tools should be used.

Note that it is illegal to activate licensed software with ‘cracking’ tools. Files and programs should be downloaded from official websites and via direct download links. Avoid third party installers and the tools/sources mentioned above.

Do not open website links or files in irrelevant emails that are received from unknown, suspicious addresses. These bogus emails are often disguised as official and important. Regularly, scan your computer with reputable, up-to-date antivirus or anti-spyware software.

Text presented in "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!" scam's pop-up:

Chrome Security

For security reasons, we strongly recommend paying attention to the following information

 

CANCEL OK

Screenshot of "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!" scam's background page:

Text presented in the page:

Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!

These viruses cause major spam and reduce battery life. We recommend subscribing for anti-spam protection.

 

We strongly recommend protect your phone now to:

 

Step 1:
Press the button below, then subscribe to 24/7 Spam Protection on the next page.

 

Step 2:
Run the powerful Google-approved application to instantly clear your phone from spam ads.

 

Fix now!

Appearance of "Your Android Is Infected With (8) Adware Viruses!" pop-up scam (GIF):

Screenshot of the legitimate McAfee anti-virus' website promoted by "Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses!" scam:

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 Your Android is infected with (8) adware viruses! 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 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are deceptive messages intended to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be enticed/scared into downloading/installing software, subscribing to services, purchasing products, disclosing sensitive information, sending money to scammers, calling fake support lines, allowing cyber criminals to access devices remotely, and so on.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals profit predominantly by promoting content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), acquiring funds through deception, abusing/selling private information, and spreading malware.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are most commonly endorsed through sites using rogue advertising networks, spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, social media posts, browser notifications, etc.), intrusive ads (malvertising), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited sites for rogue, deceptive, and malicious content. Therefore, should you stumble upon such a page – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.

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