How to stop protectpc.xyz from showing notifications

What kind of website is protectpc[.]xyz?

Protectpc[.]xyz is a shady website running a scam similar to "McAfee - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!". Also, this page asks for permission to show notifications. Our team has discovered protectpc[.]xyz while inspecting illegal movie streaming pages, torrent sites, and other pages that use rogue advertising networks.

Protectpc[.]xyz in detail

Protectpc[.]xyz displays a fake warning message stating that Windows 10 is infected with viruses and other malicious applications. It urges visitors to remove those viruses and repair the damage made to the operating system. Also, protectpc[.]xyz runs a fake system scan in the background.

Protectpc[.]xyz promotes McAfee Total Protection - a legitimate antivirus software. This page is operated by affiliates who seek to collect illegitimate commissions from purchases made via their page. The McAfee company has nothing to do with protectpc[.]xyz.

As we mentioned in the introduction, protectpc[.]xyz asks for permission to show notifications. There is a high chance that protectpc[.]xyz is designed to display deceptive notifications (for example, fake virus alerts), promote various scams, shady apps, etc.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by protectpc.xyz
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	5.45.112.153
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, 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.

More about web pages of this type

Websites like protectpc[.]xyz rarely are visited on purpose. In some cases, they are promoted via adware and other questionable apps. Their notifications can be used to promote malicious applications. There are plenty of similar pages on the Internet, for example, saveprivatedata[.]com, swooflia[.]xyz, and protectorofpower[.]xyz.

How did protectpc[.]xyz gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

Protectpc[.]xyz got permission to display notifications after it was visited, and the "Allow" button was clicked. It cannot show notifications without permission (the same applies to all web pages). It is worth mentioning that pages like protectpc[.]xyz often display deceptive content to trick visitors into clicking the "Allow" button.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

Do not trust websites claiming that it is required to click the "Allow" button to prove your age, confirm that you are not a robot, play a video, etc. Click the "Block" button when shady pages ask for permission to show notifications or close them before clicking that button.

If you are receiving unwanted notifications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Appearance of protectpc[.]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 protectpc.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 protectpc[.]xyz in the right lower corner of my desktop?

Protectpc[.]xyz was visited and allowed to show notifications (the "Allow" button was clicked while visiting protectpc[.]xyz). Websites do not display any notifications unless they have permission for that.

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

No, notifications do not infect computers. However, clicking them can open malicious pages.

Is protectpc[.]xyz a virus?

Protectpc[.]xyz is not a virus. As a rule, websites like protectpc[.]xyz promote various scams and (or) questionable/potentially malicious applications and websites.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan the operating system and remove permissions granted for protectpc[.]xyz. Additionally, this application will block further access to protectpc[.]xyz. It will not be necessary to perform additional steps.

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