How to remove Essential-scan.com ads

Essential-scan.com can trick people into thinking their system is in danger using social engineering

Essential-scan.com is a bogus website created by crooks. It is disguised as a security alert from McAfee which is a well-known antivirus. Of course, McAfee has nothing to do with this fraudulent campaign. Crooks are only using their name to appear legitimate and trustworthy. The deceptive message reads as follows: 

Security Alert

You've visited illegal infected website

You have visited unsafe site with illegal content

You PC is at risk of being infected by viruses

To continue browsing safely – perform an antivirus scan

If users choose to perform an antivirus scan, the website begins to show a fake animation. When the supposed scan is finished, multiple threats are supposedly found on the user's computer. If the user continues, he/she will be redirected to the official McAfee website.

The main goal of this scam is to redirect users to McAfee, so they would purchase a subscription. Fraudsters make money through the affiliate program and receive a cut from every purchase. The page may also cause push notification spam. This way, crooks make money from pay-per-click advertising.

Distribution methods

Pages, like Essential-scan.com usually appear when browsing through shady websites that engage in illegal activities. That is why this scam can be so convincing. For example, illegal streaming websites^[1] are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. Crooks promote their pages there because such platforms are unregulated.

We recommend only visiting sites that you know and trust. Do not click on random links and ads even if they seem to be promoting legitimate products and services. Use official streaming platforms, like Netflix or Hulu. They require only a small monthly subscription fee and users are able to consume as much content as they want.

Fix your browsers

To stop annoying virus alerts from Essential-scan.com, you have to block the site's permissions. After removal is complete, we recommend using FortectIntego repair tool to care for your browsers. Almost every website you visit uses cookies^[2] to track your browsing activity, like the pages you visit, links you click on, and purchases you make.

If you have pop-ups appearing from questionable sources, you were surfing through web pages you should not have and clicked on dangerous links. Your browsing data might be exposed or sold to advertising networks that use it to target you with ads even more. But first, you have to stop the pop-up ads from appearing. You can do that by following our step-by-step guide:

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):

1. Open Google Chrome and tap on Settings (three vertical dots).
2. Select Notifications.
3. Scroll down to Sites section.
4. 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 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.

Safari:

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

MS Edge:

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.

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.

What is adware?

If you disabled push notifications but still experience unwanted symptoms like unexpected redirects and an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, and banners you should scan your system for adware. It is mostly spread on freeware distribution sites. They include additional programs in the installers and do not disclose it clearly on their pages.

Many people rush through the process and do not notice the bundled software. If you want to keep the risk of PUAs sneaking into your system to a minimum, always choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation methods, read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to find out how your data will be used, etc. Inspect the file list and uncheck the boxes next to unnecessary programs.

Scan your machine with anti-malware tools

We suggest using trusted professional security tools SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes for PUP (potentially unwanted program)^[3] removal. It should detect most suspicious apps and remove them successfully. Of course, you can also remove a PUP manually, but it is unknown which particular app could be causing annoying behavior, as crooks disguise them as “handy” tools. Manual uninstallation can also leave some traces of the program behind which could result in the renewal of the infection.

However, if you still do not want to use security tools and know which program is at fault, use the instructions below to help you uninstall it:

Windows 10/8:

1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

Windows 7/XP:

1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Mac:

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.