How to get rid of the notifications/ads displayed by defender-scan.xyz site

What kind of page is defender-scan[.]xyz?

While checking out untrustworthy websites, our researchers found the defender-scan[.]xyz rogue webpage. It is designed to load deceptive content, push browser notification spam, and redirect visitors to different (likely unreliable/malicious) sites. Most users typically enter such pages via others that use rogue advertising networks.

Defender-scan[.]xyz overview

What visitors encounter on or through rogue websites - may depend on their IP addresses/ geolocations. When we entered defender-scan[.]xyz, it presented us with the "Your Windows 10 is infected with viruses" scam. It must be emphasized that this deceptive content is not associated with the Microsoft Corporation or McAfee Corp.

This scam mimics the interface of an anti-virus, system scan, and threat reports - which are all fake. Furthermore, no website can detect threats/issues present on a visitor's device. Typically, scams of this kind are employed to endorse fraudulent and harmful software; more information on this scam can be found in our article on it.

Additionally, defender-scan[.]xyz requests visitors to enable its browser notifications. If allowed, the site will use them to run intrusive advertisement campaigns. The displayed notifications/ads push online scams, unreliable/hazardous sites and apps, and even malware.

Hence, via webpages like defender-scan[.]xyz, users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by defender-scan.xyz
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	Forcepoint ThreatSeeker (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	168.119.150.62
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, false claims within visited websites, 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. ▼ 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.

Browser notification spam in general

We have analyzed thousands of rogue webpages; thispcprotected[.]com, freeadvcity[.]com, and dating-point[.]top are just a few examples of those we have inspected recently.

The browser notifications such pages deliver primarily promote deceptive and malicious content. Any genuine products encountered through these adverts are unlikely to be endorsed in this fashion by their actual developers. Instead, scammers who abuse affiliate programs employ notification spam to obtain illegitimate commissions.

How did defender-scan[.]xyz gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

Websites cannot display browser notifications without user permission. Hence, you have likely accessed defender-scan[.]xyz at some point and permitted it to deliver these adverts. In other words, you've clicked "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or an analogous option presented on this webpage.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

To avoid receiving unwanted browser notifications, do not permit questionable webpages to deliver them, i.e., do not press "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or similar options. We advise ignoring or denying notification delivery requests (i.e., clicking "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

If your browser is randomly force-opening suspicious pages without prompt - it is likely due to adware installed onto it or the 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 the defender-scan[.]xyz 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:
▼ 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 Ads by defender-scan.xyz?
• 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why am I seeing ads (browser notifications) delivered by defender-scan[.]xyz in the right lower corner of my desktop?

You have likely visited defender-scan[.]xyz and permitted it to deliver these advertisements (i.e., pressed "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.) since no website can display notifications without user consent.

I have clicked on notification ads, is my computer infected?

No, merely clicking on a browser notification will not trigger any malware download/installation processes. However, the content (e.g., websites, apps, etc.) promoted by these adverts can be deceptive/malicious and cause serious problems (including system infections).

Is defender-scan[.]xyz a virus?

No, defender-scan[.]xyz is not classified as a virus, but it can endorse virulent content. Rogue webpages typically promote untrustworthy sites and software, online scams, and even malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove defender-scan[.]xyz ads automatically or manual steps are still required?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan devices and revoke all the permissions given to the defender-scan[.]xyz webpage. Additionally, it is capable of restricting all further access to this and other deceptive and malicious sites. Hence, extra steps will be unnecessary.

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