Yourlink.online – a malicious domain that has been used to scam PC users
Yourlink.online is a suspicions domain which users might get redirected to if they have an adware program[1] installed on their computers. Once entered, it displays a fake warning message promising a reward of a $999 just for answering few simple questions. However, the prize offered by Yourlink.online scam is bogus and used just to extract personal information from unaware PC users.
The creators of yourlink.online scam have been employing social engineering to lure unsuspecting users into believing that the reward is real. Besides, they have also been relying on the illusion of urgency: the fake warning message notes that the prize might be given to somebody else if the user does not act immediately and does not participate in the survey.
The fake message, displayed by Yourlink.online virus, reads the following:
Congratulations user!
Your web browser Desktop Phone has been chosen for (1) opportunity!Congratulations generic web browser Desktop User, every week, we select the lucky visitors randomly to receive a reward opportunity from major retailers. This is just our way to say thank you for your continuous support.
Your phone has been selected to possibly receive a reward worth up to $999 if you answer the next 4 questions correctly.
ACT NOW! Other users have received this invitation.
You have to answer the questions before someone else takes over your spot. Good luck!
Do not get tricked by these criminals because you won't receive any reward after answering these four questions. Instead, one of the following might happen:
- Crooks might ask you to reveal your personal information, such as name, address, email address or bank account information.
- You might be offered to buy overpriced services/products you do not need;
- You might be redirected to a malicious website which is used for malware distribution.
In both cases, you will not gain anything useful by falling for such scam. Even more, your personal information might be stolen and used for illegal purposes.[2] Hence, instead of trusting this fake alert and its promises, you should ignore the message and remove Yourlink.online virus from your computer using reliable security software, such as FortectIntego.
In addition to potential data loss, yourlink.online can produce large amounts of ads, deals, banners, offers and similar popups. Typically, such notifications can easily decrease users' experience on the web and drive even the most patient users mad. The virus uses a virtual layer to inject its ads and cover a significant portion of the useful information in the background, so you might start seeing them on legitimate websites as well.
Researchers form semvirus.pt[3] concluded, that adware like this one is not dangerous on its own as it does not damage or corrupt system files (typically, it is the primary activity of malware). However, Yourlink.online can give an opportunity for hackers to access your system without being noticed and infect it with serious viruses. Additionally, internet browsing sessions might become unbearable, as adware quickly multiplies and installs various additional components on your device.
As you can clearly see, Yourlink.online removal is inevitable procedure, especially if you value your personal information and do not want waste money on cybercriminals. Use the guide below to fix your affected computer system without any troubles.
Crooks are trying to monetize on inexperienced users
If you have never encountered adware or PUP infection before, it might be an intimidating experience. The obvious question would be: where did it come from? Fortunately, the answer is very simple – you should look at the free software you recently downloaded and installed on your computer. Beware that bundling is a well-known distribution method of adware and other PUPs which has been actively used for some time.
Fortunately, it is extremely easy to avoid such infection – all you have to do is being very attentive during each of your browsing sessions and when installing from the web. Every time you install a new program, make sure you opt for Advanced mode, as Recommended settings might conceal additional unwanted programs. When in Advanced mode, untick all the pre-checked checkmarks that allow installation of optional components and then finish the installation.
Uninstall Yourlink.online adware and continue with easy browsing sessions
Fortunately, Yourlink.online removal is not a very complicated task, even for the most inexperienced users. So, if you think that you could have this PUP on your computer, make sure that you have two methods to eliminate it: manual and automatic.
If you are willing to remove the adware related to Yourlink.online scam manually, use instructions that we prepared and saved below this article. Therefore, make sure you follow every step carefully as incorrect procedure might lead you to reappearance of the virus. We highly recommend that only computer-savvy individuals relied on the manual removal as inexperienced users may run into further problems by removing wrong system components.
If you are looking for the easier way to remove Yourlink.online virus, download and install security software from our website. If you decided to continue with other program, note that there are plenty of programs available online. However, we recommend choosing from the three applications listed below, as they been used while testing this potentially unwanted program.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
Did this guide help?
Be the first to comment