Harix.live ads (fake) - Free Guide

What is Harix.live ads?

Harix.live may convince users that their PC is infected by a Trojan and other viruses

Fake security alerts use scare tactics to make people act without thinking

Harix.live appears to be a McAfee security alert. McAfee, on the other hand, has nothing to do with this fraudulent campaign. Crooks only use this branding to appear credible. Crooks use social engineering techniques to convince people that their system is infected when they come across this site.

The page even includes a bogus system scan animation. You should keep in mind that such scans cannot be performed by websites. The main goal of this scam is to redirect users to the official McAfee websites so that crooks can profit from each subscription purchase via the affiliate program.

Such scam pages and fake scan results with issues or malware names can be generated by some AI tools and fraudulent programs, so pay attention to details and mistakes. This is pretty common for technology to fail, so you can indicate real warnings and alerts from AV tools from these Harix.live and other scams.

Distribution methods

Pages like Harix.live are rarely found via search results. They usually hide on other shady, unregulated sites. Illegal streaming websites, for example, are riddled with deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. They are capable of displaying bogus “Download” and “Play” buttons.

If users are browsing such pages and see a “You've visited an illegally infected website,” the scam becomes very convincing. You should only visit websites that you are familiar with and trust. Do not click on random links and advertisements, even if they appear to promote legitimate products and services.

What is adware?

It's also possible that you're seeing deceptive sites because you've been infected with adware.^[1] It is ad-supported software that can result in pop-ups, banners, and redirects. Ads are frequently placed by rogue advertising networks. As a result, people are directed to dangerous websites that attempt to trick them into providing personal information, downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),^[2] and even malware.

Such pages may also appear because you are infected by adware

Check your browser

Check to see if your browser has been hijacked by a browser hijacker. Changed settings, such as the homepage, new tab address, and search engine, may be among the symptoms. Web-based applications, such as Harix.live, can automatically redirect users to scam sites. As a result, you should check your browser settings to see if any plugins have been installed. We recommend removing the apps one at a time to see if any changes occur.

To care for your browsers, we also recommend using the FortectIntego repair tool. Cookies^[3] are used by almost every website you visit to track your browsing activity, such as the pages you visit, links you click on, and purchases you make. They can be profitable and sold to ad networks or other third parties.

Disable push notifications

To stop annoying virus alerts from Harix.live, you have to block the site permissions that allow it to show push notifications. 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.

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.

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.

Use anti-malware tools to scan your machine

If you've disabled push notifications and checked your browser for extensions but are still experiencing unwanted symptoms like redirects and an increase in commercial content, you should run an adware scan. For PUP (potentially unwanted program) removal, we recommend using trusted professional security tools SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.

Most suspicious processes should be detected and removed successfully. Of course, you can manually remove a PUP, but it is unknown which specific app is causing the annoying behavior because crooks disguise them as “useful” tools. Manual uninstallation may also leave some traces of the program behind, which may result in the infection reappearing.

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.