Removing the notifications/ads delivered by the protectwatcher.xyz website

What kind of page is protectwatcher[.]xyz?

While investigating untrustworthy sites, our research team discovered the protectwatcher[.]xyz rogue webpage. It promotes online scams, pushes browser notification spam, and redirects visitors to other (likely unreliable and malicious) websites.

Users typically access pages like protectwatcher[.]xyz via redirects caused by websites that use rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, spam notifications, intrusive advertisements, or installed adware.

Protectwatcher[.]xyz overview

When we inspected protectwatcher[.]xyz, it ran the "You've visited illegal infected website" scam. It is noteworthy that users can encounter other content on this page - since what is loaded/promoted may depend on the visitor's IP address (geolocation).

The scam we inspected comprises a fake program interface, system scan, and threat reports. It must be emphasized that all this information is false, and it is in no way associated with the actual McAfee anti-virus.

Furthermore, no site can scan systems or detect threats on visitors' devices - therefore, any that make such claims are scams. Typically, this scam model (i.e., fake threat alert) is used to proliferate untrustworthy, fraudulent, and malicious applications.

What is more, protectwatcher[.]xyz requested visitors to allow it to deliver browser notifications. Rogue sites use them to run intrusive ad campaigns. The displayed notifications/ads endorse online scams, unreliable/harmful sites and software, and even malware.

In summary, through webpages like protectwatcher[.]xyz - users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by protectwatcher.xyz
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.64.80.1
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 inspected thousands of rogue sites; wilycaptcha.live, erbi90s[.]click, internalnetworkpc[.]com, prime-scanner[.]com, and myhypenews[.]com are merely some examples.

These webpages deliver browser notifications endorsing dangerous content. Note that any genuine products/services encountered via these adverts are most likely promoted by scammers abusing affiliate programs in order to obtain illegitimate commissions.

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

Websites need user consent to display browser notifications. Hence, you have likely entered protectwatcher[.]xyz and given permission by clicking "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or a similar option presented on this page.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

To avoid receiving undesirable browser notifications, do not permit suspicious websites to deliver them. In other words, do not press "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or any analogous options displayed on such pages. Instead, ignore or deny notification delivery requests - i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.

Should your browser continuously force-open questionable sites, it could be caused by the presence of adware on the device. 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 protectwatcher[.]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 protectwatcher.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 protectwatcher[.]xyz in the right lower corner of my desktop?

Sites need user permission to deliver browser notifications. Hence, you've likely entered protectwatcher[.]xyz and clicked "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or an analogous option.

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

No, merely clicking on a browser notification will not initiate any system infection processes. However, these ads promote deceptive/hazardous content that can cause severe issues (including malware infections).

Is protectwatcher[.]xyz a virus?

No, websites like protectwatcher[.]xyz are not classified as viruses, but they can endorse virulent content. Rogue webpages primarily push online scams, unreliable/harmful software, and even malware.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of scanning devices and reverting all the permission granted to the protectwatcher[.]xyz page. Additionally, it can restrict further access to this and other rogue, deceptive, and malicious websites. Therefore, no extra steps will be necessary.

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