Protectionyoupc.com ads (spam) - Free Guide

What is Protectionyoupc.com ads?

Protectionyoupc.com is a deceptive site trying to scare users into downloading fake antivirus software

Protectionyoupc.com is a bogus website that spams users with pop-ups

Protectionyoupc.com is a website that tries to lure users in with promises of protecting their PCs with antivirus software. The creators of the site use the name of McAfee – a well-established antivirus suite. We strongly doubt that the page was created by McAfee developers and suspect that shady individuals are using them to appear more legitimate.

Recently, many pages started appearing that look extremely similar, like Antivirus-protection.shop, and Antivirus.safe-web-pc.com. It seems like fraudsters want to profit from the names of other brands. This is not a surprise – scammers often use the names of big tech companies like Google or Apple to gain trust.

It is unclear whether the program that the page allows users to install after payment is functional or safe. It may be a PUP (potentially unwanted program)^[1] or even malware. It might be disguised as a legitimate McAfee antivirus software that does not actually do anything and just pretends to protect your PC.

Ways you could have ended up on the site

We always advise our visitors to ignore pages that open randomly. Sites like Protectionyoupc.com are often promoted on other shady websites that are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. Once the user clicks on the wrong button, a new tab opens with an ad in it.

Some fraudsters take advantage of this and make their pages look like legitimate system warnings, like Microsoft tech support scams. They rely on social engineering techniques^[2] to help them accomplish their goal – lure out money out of victims. That is why users have to be very careful and not believe everything they see on the Internet.

Protectionyoupc.com tries to sell possibly fake antivirus software

The appearance of such sites could also be caused by adware^[3] – a program that hides in the system and generates commercial content like pop-ups, surveys, banners, redirects. People install such PUPs thanks to software bundling which freeware distribution sites often use.

They still need to generate revenue and make their activity profitable, so they include additional programs in the installers. Of course, that is not disclosed on the page, so if people rush through the installation process, they do not notice those programs. There is also a possibility that the app was disguised as a “handy” program that users installed themselves. Because of these widely used techniques, when installing software, you should always choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation method, check the file list and untick the boxes next to programs that you do not need.

Block push notifications and clear your browsers

To block site permissions, you have to do it manually via browser settings because push notifications are based on a subscription model. After removal is complete, we recommend using FortectIntego repair tool to care for your browsers. Almost every website you visit uses cookies to track your browsing activity, like the pages you visit, links you click on, and purchases you make.

The fact that you have pop-ups appearing from questionable sources means that you most likely were surfing through web pages you should not. 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.

Internet Explorer:

1. Open Internet Explorer, and click on the Gear icon at the top-right on the window.
2. Select Internet options and go to Privacy tab.
3. In the Pop-up Blocker section, click on Settings.
4. Locate web address in question under Allowed sites and pick Remove.

Second removal option

If you disabled push notifications but still experience unwanted symptoms like unexpected redirects and an increased amount of commercial content, you should scan your system for adware. We suggest using trusted professional security tools SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes to scan your machine automatically. 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, so removing it can be difficult if you do not have experience – you risk deleting the wrong applications. If you know which program is at fault, use our guide 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.