Doombrand.xyz ads (Tutorial) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge

What is Doombrand.xyz ads?

Doombrand.xyz is a malicious website that that lures users to subscribe to its notifications

Doombrand.xyz is a scam website that shows malicious links on users' desktops

If you have started seeing Doombrand.xyz ads showing up on your screen, you must have allowed notifications to be shown from the website. These pop-ups usually cover all the other apps or windows and are shown either at the top-right or bottom right of the desktop. If you are using a phone or a tablet, these notifications will show up even if the device is idle and will come on top of the background. Likewise, this problem can occur regardless of which browser you are using, be it Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, or Safari, as all of them employ the push notification feature.

Doombrand.xyz operates a scam that is very common on the world wide web. In most cases, users come to this site inadvertently, usually after clicking a link on a deceptive or malicious website or due to adware^[1] running in the background and causing browser redirects.

As soon as users get onto the website, they are presented with two distinct elements, which, in fact, are the only ones present on the page, as they are enough to fulfill the function they have been made for – to trick users. The components include a prompt that asks whether users would like to enable notifications from the site and a background picture/message which encourages visitors to do so. In fact, “encouraging” is the wrong word to use, as it's mostly straight-out lies and should be treated as such.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of ways how crooks can present the push notification feature as something completely different, thanks to the social engineering^[2] tricks. Here are a few examples of messages you could come across after accessing the Doombrand.xyz website:

• Press “Allow” to watch the video
• Click Allow if you are not a robot
• Click “Allow” to close this window
• Your download is ready! Click Allow, etc.

These messages might make people believe that the purpose of the “Allow” button is to watch a video or proceed to allegedly view the content. However, this is nothing but a scam – there is no video to watch and no other content to explore. Instead, users would likely be redirected to other similar websites, such as Gettingyourcontent.com, Shotvideoalt.ru, or CleverCaptcha.top, which would ask for the same things.

Thus, don't even bother clicking the “Block” button, and simply leave the page. If you have been a victim of this scam, you shouldn't worry much, and remove the unwanted push notifications via web browser settings. We explain how below.

There are thousands of websites that try to abuse the push notification feature for malicious purposes. Despite this, the element was not created having that in mind but rather as a tool that could help users reach relevant information immediately, which also benefits the service providers in many ways.

Initially, it was created by Apple back in 2009, and it was not until 2015 that the most popular web browsers adopted this feature. While you might have noticed that many websites nowadays ask for notifications to be enabled, they do it in a way that is understandable and not confusing.

At the same time, crooks use fake messages and misleading statements in order to make people subscribe. Unlike legitimate websites, however, Doombrand.xyz developers would send information that can be considered dubious at best.

For example, users might receive an offer to earn thousands of dollars within just a few days, all for a small investment. These are known as get-rich-quick schemes and are a very popular form of fraud online. There could also be statements about computer health or virus infections, and links would lead to websites that ask to download an alleged malware removal tool.

Push notifications, as a feature, are not malicious, although they can be abused by cybercriminals to deliver links to insecure websites

Please stay away from statements which claim your device is infected because websites simply can't know this information. They could read certain details about you, though, e.g., your IP address,^[3] browser language, or the operating system used. This is completely normal, and you shouldn't worry about this – all of these messages are fake.

Below you will find details on how to remove the unwanted push notifications for good. Additionally, we provide guidelines on how to check the system for infections after that.

How to remove Doombrand.xyz ads

Many users are tricked into subscribing to push notifications from a malicious website thanks to misleading messages; in some cases, users might even click the “Allow” button by accident. The result is always the same – at some point after the request to show notifications is accepted, the site would send pop-ups on a regular basis, disturbing all the work being done on the computer at the time. Not only is it annoying, but it can also be dangerous if the links are clicked.

Therefore, it is vital to perform Doombrand.xyz removal as soon as possible. For that, you need to access the settings section of your browser and remove the permission to show send you notifications.

Google Chrome (desktop):

1. Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
2. Scroll down and click on Advanced.
3. Locate the Privacy and security section and pick Site Settings > Notifications.
4. Look at the Allow section and look for a suspicious URL.
5. Click the three vertical dots next to it and pick Block. This should remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome.

Google Chrome (Android)

• Open Google Chrome and tap on Settings (three vertical dots).
• Select Notifications.
• Scroll down to the Sites section.
• Locate the unwanted URL and toggle the button to the left (Off setting).

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
2. Click on Privacy & Security section.
3. Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click the Settings button next to it.
4. In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the drop-down menu by the URL in question.
5. Select Block and then click on Save Changes. This should remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox.

MS Edge (Chromium):

1. Open Microsoft Edge, and go to Settings.
2. Select Site permissions.
3. Go to Notifications on the right.
4. Under Allow, you will find the unwanted entry.
5. Click on More actions and select Block.

MS Edge (legacy):

1. Open Microsoft Edge, and click the Settings and more button (three horizontal dots) at the top-right of the window.
2. Select Settings and then go to Advanced.
3. Under Website permissions, pick Manage permissions and select the URL in question.
4. Toggle the switch to the left to turn notifications off on Microsoft Edge.

Safari:

1. Click on Safari > Preferences…
2. Go to the Websites tab and, under General, select Notifications.
3. Select the web address in question, click the drop-down menu and select Deny.

How to take care of adware or malware

While the intrusive pop-up notifications have nothing to do with adware or malware directly, there could be a connection still. Adware especially is a type of software that specializes in advertisements that show up in various forms; in some cases, it could also cause browser redirects. Therefore, if you encounter malicious websites frequently and the websites you open are filled with ads, you should definitely perform some checks.

Potentially unwanted programs and even malware are spread using deceptive distribution tactics such as software bundling, where several apps are compiled into a single installation wizard. Once opened, the window does not directly show all the programs to be installed and instead hides this fact using pre-ticked boxes, fine print, or promoting the usage of Recommended/Quick settings.

Thus, many people don't even know that they have adware installed on their computers, especially those who often download freeware from third-party websites. To prevent this, you should always download software from legitimate sources and pay close attention during the installation process.

To get rid of PUP, you can check the manual guide below or use SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes as an automatic solution. Security software can also check your device for malware and remove all the malicious files at once. However, if the damage were done to your system files, it would not be able to repair it, so use FortectIntego for that if required. Likewise, the app can be used to clean web browsers after adware infection to prevent tracking and other issues. If you rather do this manually, check for details below.