Savings Champion Virus
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Savings Champion?
Developed by a company called Engaging Apps, Savings Champion is a potentially unwanted browser extension. This browser plug-in claims to save time and money by enabling coupons, comparison shopping, and displaying discounts/special offers available on shopping websites. While this functionality may seem legitimate, be aware that it is categorized as adware.
Savings Champion employs a deceptive software marketing method called 'bundling' to install on users' browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox) without users' permission. Following successful infiltration, Savings Champion monitors users' Internet browsing activity and generates intrusive online advertisements.
These intrusive advertisements include search, text-link, interstitial, sponsored link, pop-up, and targeted video ads. There is a high probability that clicking these ads will lead to high-risk adware or malware infections.
Furthermore, this rogue browser add-on continually tracks users' Internet browsing activity by recording various software and hardware information, which may be personally identifiable. For example: Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, geographic locations, unique identifier numbers, search queries entered, URLs visited, pages viewed, and other similar details.
This behavior may result in serious privacy issues or even identity theft, and therefore, you are strongly advised to eliminate Savings Champion from your Internet browsers.
Savings Champion is similar to other rogue browser extensions (such as Coupon Champ, Stairway to Savings, and Atomic Savings), which claim to improve users' Internet browsing experience by enabling certain functions. None of these browser plug-ins add any real value for the user - their purpose is to generate income by the display of intrusive online advertisements.
Most users infect their computers with Savings Champion via fake downloads (Java/browser updates, etc.) and free software 'download clients' used on freeware download websites such as soft32.com, softonic.com, download.com, etc.
Be aware that most of these websites employ small download programs (download clients) to monetize their free services by offering installation of promoted browser extensions together with the chosen free software. Thus, reckless installation of freeware often ends up in adware or malware infection.
This situation can be prevented by closely inspecting each step of the freeware download process and clicking 'Decline' when installation of any additional programs is offered. If you are installing downloaded applications, select the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' installation options, which will reveal any bundled applications listed for installation and allow you to decline them.
Internet users who have installed Savings Champion and observe "Ads by Savings Champion" advertisements, should follow this removal guide to uninstall Savings Champion adware from their Internet browsers.
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Quick menu:
- What is Savings Champion?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Savings Champion application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove Savings Champion ads from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Ads by Savings Champion from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove Savings Champion adware from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove Savings Champion extension from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Savings Champion adware removal:
Windows 11 users:
Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.
Windows 10 users:
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.
Windows 7 users:
Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.
macOS (OSX) users:
Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
In the uninstall programs window: look for "Savings Champion", select this entry and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted program (which causes Savings Champion ads), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Remove Savings Champion ads from Internet browsers:
Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:
Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for "Savings Champion", select this entry and click "Remove".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by savings champion, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) select "Tools" and click on "Extensions". Locate: "Savings Champion", select this entry and click the trash can icon.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by savings champion, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
If you are unable to remove Savings Champion and it is greyed-out ("Installed by enterprise policy"), follow this removal guide - how to remove a Google Chrome extension that is "Installed by enterprise policy"?
Remove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions", in the opened window remove "Savings Champion".
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with ads by savings champion removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....
In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.
Optional method:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:
Click the Edge menu icon (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by savings champion, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
- If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.
Summary:
Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.
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