Safecomputercheck.com scam: a fake McAfee virus scan and how to get rid of it
Safecomputercheck.com is a web address that our old guide says showed a fake McAfee virus scan to push people into buying security software. Close the page without clicking; only if you pressed Proceed, paid or installed something do you need the steps below.
Facts checked October 8, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation.
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Safecomputercheck.com fake McAfee scan: summary
| Type | Fake antivirus scan page (scareware) using McAfee's name; not a virus and not a message from McAfee |
|---|---|
| Risk | High if you pay, type card details or run a download from the page it leads to; seeing the page alone is low |
| Symptoms | A page in the browser that runs a scan and says your PC has viruses and your McAfee subscription expired, with a Proceed button, per our old guide |
| How to get rid of it | Close the tab and do not click. If it returns, remove the notification permission and any extension you did not add; if you clicked or paid, see the plan |
| Our check | One visit on 5 October 2026 showed a parked page: no scan, notification request or redirect on that visit. This does not clear the site |
| Running since / first seen | Domain registered 2 January 2025; our first guide 11 February 2025 |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 10 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known: a web address is not a file, so Defender has nothing to detect unless you installed a download from it. PCrisk lists one VirusTotal flag with no name |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Redirects from risky sites and ads, adware, per the old guide |
| Damage | Payment for software you do not need, card details handed over, unwanted downloads (PCrisk: slower PC, tracking) |
| Name | Safecomputercheck.com scam |
| Domain registered | 2 January 2025 |
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
| Imitates | McAfee |
| Domains | safecomputercheck[.]com |
| First seen | 11 February 2025 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Facts checked on 6 October 2026 against our test of 5 October 2026, the RDAP record, PCrisk, McAfee's scam page and the browsers' own help pages. We saw only a parked page, which is one visit and does not clear the site.
What safecomputercheck.com is
- What it is
- A web address that, according to our old guide, showed a fake McAfee security scan in the browser. It is not McAfee and not a message from Windows
- What it claims
- Your PC is infected with viruses and your McAfee subscription has expired, so you must press Proceed or renew
- How you land there
- Through a redirect from a risky site or an ad, not through search results, says the old guide
- Does it need a virus on your PC?
- No. The page itself is the scam. Adware can be one thing that sends you there, and it is not required
- 1
A page opens that you did not ask for
Our old guide says people arrive after a redirect from a risky site, or because adware sent them.
- 2
A fake McAfee scan runs
There are animated progress bars and a file path flashing by, made to look like antivirus software. Nothing on your drive is being read.
- 3
A warning appears
It claims viruses were found and that the McAfee subscription has expired. The same text goes to every visitor, whether or not they have McAfee.
- 4
The button sends you on
The Proceed button leads to a purchase or a download. We did not follow it, so where it ends today is not confirmed.
Is us.safecomputercheck.com legit? The short answer for the US address
No, us.safecomputercheck.com is not a legitimate McAfee or Microsoft service.
The us part in front is only a subdomain of the same safecomputercheck.com address, so it belongs to the same owner and carries the same fake virus scan risk. Scam pages often use country prefixes like us or uk to look local and official. A subdomain never makes a page trustworthy on its own.
McAfee says it does not scan your computer from a web page and does not warn about an expired subscription through browser pop-ups. A real McAfee check runs in the McAfee app installed on your PC, and real account messages come from mcafee.com. A page that runs a scan in your browser, says it found viruses and pushes a Proceed or Renew button is a fake, whatever address it uses.
The domain was registered on 2 January 2025, and our visit on 5 October 2026 showed only a parked page. That quiet visit does not clear the site: such addresses can switch content at any time and often show the scam only to visitors who arrive from ads or redirects.
If you only saw the page, close the tab. If you clicked, paid or installed something, follow the steps in this guide.
Is the Safecomputercheck.com fake McAfee scan warning real?
What we know about it over time
2 January 2025
Domain registered
RDAP records the registration of safecomputercheck.com on this date; it expires on 2 January 2027.
11 February 2025
Our first guide
The old guide appeared with a description of the fake McAfee scan, the Proceed button and the push request. It was not updated after that date.
The fake Quick Scan window from the old guide: a progress counter, two invented virus lines and a Threat Detected card at the bottom right, all inside a browser page. 5 October 2026
Our test
The address showed a parked page with a Buy this domain bar and related-search links, with no scan, no notification request and no redirect on that one visit.
What the Safecomputercheck.com fake McAfee scan scammers want
What the fake scan says, line by line
| What the page says | What is wrong with it |
|---|---|
| Your PC is infected with 5 viruses! | The number is a template. A web page in a browser tab does not read your files, and the same count appears for every visitor. Our old guide says the same: no website can find viruses on a device without antivirus installed. |
| TROJAN_2022 and other viruses detected (5). Scan results: 2022_TROJAN virus, password_SPY, AdSwitcher detected | Invented names that read like detections. The list is shown in a window inside a browser; McAfee says its real notices come from the installed program, not from a browser tab. |
| TROJAN found on this PC will most likely copy and delete all data from hard drives | A scare line; the page cannot know what is on your drive. |
| Your McAfee Subscription Has Expired! Renew now to keep your PC protected. | A page cannot read your McAfee account. A real renewal is done in your McAfee account, not by a button on a page that opened by itself. |
| Unprotected PCs are 93% more vulnerable to suffer from malware. | A figure with no source, placed under the button. |
| It is highly recommended to use an antivirus immediately! PROCEED | The one action the page wants. Real McAfee has no Proceed button in a web page. |
What it can cost you
- High
Money for a program you do not need
The page pushes you to pay for security software. Our old guide says this is how the scheme earns money; we could not confirm how this site is paid.
- High
Card and personal details
If you type them on the page that Proceed opens, whoever runs that page has them.
- Medium
A download that is not security software
The old guide warns that Proceed may lead to a site that distributes malware. We did not follow the button, so this is not confirmed.
- Medium
Notifications you allow
Pages like this often ask to send push notifications. If you pressed Allow, the site can show ads on your desktop later, even with the browser in the background.
- Low
Only seeing the page
The old guide says that unless the device has unpatched software flaws, visiting is unlikely to harm it. We did not test this; keep Windows and the browser updated.
Why Safecomputercheck.com fake McAfee scan opens in your browser
How people end up on it
| Route | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| A redirect from a risky site | The route the old guide names most: torrent platforms, illegal streaming sites and other poorly secured pages full of misleading ads and links. |
| Adware on your PC | Adware that came with a free program can force pages onto your browser without you opening them. If the page appears on many unrelated sites, check this first. |
| A site the scammers run | The old guide says criminals sometimes build such sites themselves to lure visitors. |
| A notification you allowed | A site you once allowed can open pages or show alerts without you visiting it. |
| Search results | The old guide says the address is not commonly found through standard search results unless you use unreliable sources. |
How to spot the next one
Do
- Read the address bar first: McAfee pages are on mcafee.com
- Close the tab with Ctrl+W without clicking anything
- Report a fake McAfee message to scam@mcafee.com
- Install free programs in Custom or Advanced mode and untick the extras
- Keep Windows, the browser and Windows Security updated
Don't
- Do not press Proceed or Renew on a page that opened by itself
- Do not trust a scan result shown in a browser tab
- Do not allow notifications from sites you do not know
- Do not download security software from a pop-up or an ad
- Do not visit torrent and illegal streaming sites, the old guide's main source of redirects
If you called, paid or ran what the page said
If you pressed Proceed, paid or installed something
If you only saw the page and closed it, none of this is needed: go on to the notifications section. If you pressed Proceed, followed the next page or installed a file, work through these steps.
- 1
Close the page and stop
Press Ctrl+W. If the tab will not close, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, select the browser and choose End task.
- 2
Call your bank if you paid
Tell the bank or card issuer you paid on a fake security page and ask them to block the card or dispute the charge.
- 3
Change passwords you typed
Change any password you entered on the page, and anywhere you reuse it, starting with e-mail.
- 4
Uninstall what you installed (Windows)
Open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 10: Apps & features). Sort by install date, select any program you did not choose and click Uninstall. The old Control Panel route is Programs > Uninstall a program. If User Account Control asks, click Yes.
- 5
Remove the file you downloaded
Open Downloads and delete the installer. Adware may also add extensions: see the next section.
- 6
Run a full scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options and pick Full scan, or run Microsoft Defender Offline scan, which restarts the PC. A clean result is not proof that nothing is left.
- 7
Remove the app (Mac)
Open Finder > Go > Applications, find the app you did not choose and drag it to the Trash. Adware can leave extra files, as the old guide says. To look, choose Go > Go to Folder and open
/Library/Application Support,/Library/LaunchAgentsand/Library/LaunchDaemons, and look for entries named after the app. The old guide says to delete the related files, including .plist files. Not confirmed against Apple documentation; skip this step if unsure.
Stop it coming back: notifications, extensions and site data
Pages like this often ask visitors to enable push notifications as soon as they land. If you allowed one, the site can send adverts to your desktop at any time, whatever you are browsing. Our test saw no request on 5 October 2026, but a permission can date from an earlier visit.
| Browser | Remove the notification permission | Check extensions |
|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. Under "Allowed to send notifications" find the address you do not know and remove it, or move it to "Not allowed". | Type chrome://extensions and click Remove under any extension you did not add. |
| Microsoft Edge | Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > Notifications. Under Allow, find the entry and use More actions > Block or remove it. | Type edge://extensions and click Remove under any extension you did not add. |
| Mozilla Firefox | Menu > Settings > Privacy & Security. Under Permissions, click Settings next to Notifications, select the address in the list and choose Block or remove it, then Save Changes. | Type about:addons, open Extensions and remove anything you did not add. |
| Safari on a Mac | Safari > Settings > Websites > Notifications, select the address and choose Deny. In System Settings > Notifications you can also turn off the site. | Safari > Settings > Extensions, select the one you did not add and uninstall it. |
To clear cookies and cached data, use each browser's clear-browsing-data page: Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data in Chrome, Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data in Edge, Privacy & Security > Clear Data in Firefox, and Safari > Clear History on a Mac. It signs you out of sites, so do it only if the page still returns.
Internet Explorer is not covered: Microsoft retired it in 2022. If the page returns after all this, reset the browser, then check Installed apps again.
How to get rid of the Safecomputercheck.com scam pop-up
The scan on the page is fake.
Close it, stop the notifications that open it, and dispute any payment you made.
Which browser shows the ads?
Step 1: Remove safecomputercheck[.]com from Chrome's notification list
Chrome keeps a list of every site you once allowed to send notifications, and
safecomputercheck[.]comis on it. Pastechrome://settings/content/notificationsinto the address bar, find safecomputercheck[.]com under Allowed to send notifications, open the three-dot menu next to it and pick Remove.Then click Add next to Not allowed to send notifications and type safecomputercheck[.]com, so the site cannot ask a second time. Repeat it in every Chrome profile you use on Windows 11 or Windows 10, since each profile has its own list.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Step 1: Remove safecomputercheck[.]com from Edge's notification list
Open Settings and more (the three dots) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Remove
safecomputercheck[.]comfrom the Allowed list, then click Add site next to Not allowed to send notifications and enter it there.Edge is built into both Windows 11 and Windows 10, so check it even if you normally use another browser. If the notifications came with the Edge logo, this is the browser that holds the permission.
Edge on Windows 11: Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Step 1: Remove safecomputercheck[.]com from Firefox's notification permissions
Open the menu (three lines) > Settings and click Permissions and data in the left list, then Notifications. Select
safecomputercheck[.]com, click Remove Website and confirm with Save Changes.In versions older than Firefox 152 the same list sits under Privacy & Security, behind a Settings button next to Notifications. Firefox shows these notifications only while it is running, on Windows 11 and Windows 10 alike.
Firefox on Windows 11: the Notification Permissions window. Full procedure with screenshots: Stop website notifications and pop-ups
Then, whichever browser you use
Step 2: Close the page without touching its buttons
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, select the browser on Processes and click End task: buttons on the page, including Close and Cancel, can trigger downloads or more pop-ups. When you reopen the browser, do not restore the previous tabs.
Warning: Never call a number shown in a browser warning; Microsoft and antivirus companies do not put phone numbers in warnings.
If the page opens again by itself, notifications or an extension are bringing it back. Task Manager works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Full procedure with screenshots: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit) On uGetFix
Step 3: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of Safecomputercheck.com scam that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Questions about Safecomputercheck.com fake McAfee scan
Is safecomputercheck.com a scam?
Our old guide describes it as a scam page, and one visit this month showed a parked page. The old guide says the address showed a fake McAfee scan with a claim of viruses and an expired subscription, which is a scareware lure.
On 5 October 2026 we opened it directly and saw a Buy this domain bar and related-search links, with no scan. That does not clear it: such pages can answer one visitor and not the next, depending on country, device or referrer. Treat the address as untrusted and do not enter details or download anything it offers, whatever it shows.
Is the McAfee scan on safecomputercheck.com real?
No, the scan is not from McAfee. Pictures in our old guide show a McAfee-styled window inside a browser page, with a progress counter and invented virus names. McAfee says genuine notices come from its installed program, not from a browser tab.
A web page also cannot see your McAfee account, so a claim that your subscription expired is a template shown to every visitor. To check your real status, open the McAfee icon in the system tray or sign in by typing myaccount.mcafee.com yourself.
What happens if I clicked Proceed?
Close the page and note what the next page asked for. If you only clicked, nothing more may have happened, but we could not follow the button to see where it leads today.
If you paid, call your bank, ask to block the card or dispute the charge, and keep the receipt or page address if you have them. If you typed a password, change it and any copy of it. If you installed a file, remove it in Installed apps and run a Windows Security scan.
Can I get a virus just by visiting safecomputercheck.com?
Our old guide says it is unlikely unless the device has unpatched software flaws, and we found nothing on our visit to contradict that, but we did not test it. A page that shows a warning does not change your PC by itself. The risk is in what you do next:
- pressing Proceed
- paying
- installing
Keep Windows and your browser updated. If you pressed anything, use the steps above, and remember that closing the tab is enough when you did nothing else.
How do I remove safecomputercheck.com from my browser?
There is nothing to uninstall for the page itself; close the tab. What brings it back can be removed. Open your browser's notification settings and remove any address you do not know, open the extensions page and remove any extension you did not add, then on Windows check Settings > Apps > Installed apps for programs you do not remember.
Clear cookies and cached data if the page returns. Steps for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari are in the notifications section.
Why does the fake McAfee scan keep appearing?
Something keeps opening it. The old guide names redirects from torrent and illegal streaming sites, adware that arrived with free software, and push notifications you may have allowed. Our test cannot say which applies to you, because the page did not show its scan.
If it appears on one site only, avoid that site. If it appears on many unrelated sites, check notifications and extensions in every browser, then scan with Windows Security and look through Installed apps for anything you do not remember installing.
Does McAfee send pop-ups like this?
McAfee says its genuine notices come from the installed program, not from a window in your web browser.
On its scam page it adds that it will never require you to call a phone number in an e-mail or text, never ask you to confirm personal details and lists spelling mistakes and requests for personal or financial info as signs of fake content.
You can report fraudulent messages that use McAfee's name to scam@mcafee.com. To renew, use your own McAfee account or the installed program.
I allowed notifications from this site. What now?
Remove the permission in your browser; this stops the alerts. In Chrome open Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications and remove the address you do not know. Edge, Firefox and Safari have the same list under their settings, as the table in the notifications section shows.
We did not see a notification request on 5 October 2026, so the permission, if you have one, probably dates from an earlier visit. Then check your extensions for anything you did not add.
Will Fortect remove Safecomputercheck.com scam?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Safecomputercheck.com scam, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- RDAP record: safecomputercheck.com (read October 6, 2026)
- PCrisk: Safecomputercheck.com ads removal guide (read October 6, 2026)
- McAfee: How to recognize McAfee scam emails and fake popups (read October 6, 2026)
- McAfee Support: Spot fake McAfee notifications (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Manage website notifications in Microsoft Edge (read October 6, 2026)
- Mozilla Support: Web Push notifications in Firefox (read October 6, 2026)
- Apple Support: Customize website notifications in Safari on Mac (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Virus and Threat Protection in the Windows Security App (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows (read October 6, 2026)