Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz ads (scam) - Free Guide

What is Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz ads?

Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz alerts show fake information about virus infections allegedly found on users' PCs

Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz is a fake website created by scammers to fool users into downloading potentially malicious software

Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz is a malicious website you may come across accidentally – usually, links from other high-risk websites cause redirects to it. It is not an accident that Norton's name dominates all the pop-up messages, as scammers simply mimic logos, window formatting, and other aspects of the legitimate software/website. However, nothing about this scheme is real, and the real goal of cybercriminals behind it is to profit from advertising revenue.

In order to make the Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz scam more believable, crooks employ scare tactics – they claim that the system has been infected with several viruses and that it needs to be cleaned immediately. Of course, they offer the “solution” straight away and redirect users to the purchase page for the anti-virus software.

Do not enter any additional websites, accept push notifications and most importantly, never download any software from Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz or other websites it links you to. If you did, we recommend you check your system as per the instructions below, although an adware^[1] check is recommended regardless if the latter statement applies to you.

The scam message you should never interact with

Fear is one of the most common human emotions abused in social engineering^[2] schemes online. Users who are not particularly savvy with computers are especially susceptible to online fraud – cybercriminals prey on those people, unfortunately. The scam scheme starts with the way users are presented with the fake page.

Usually, people are redirected to Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz from some other websites, such as peer-to-peer networks, illegal video streaming platforms, or even hacked sites. Avoiding such places could also greatly reduce the risk of being redirected to such sites, so beware.

Once redirected, users are bombarded with numerous pop-ups that look just like a security scan. During this brief time, users are shown triggers of the alleged virus detections and, unsurprisingly, the “results” come up with the following information:

Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!
ACTION REQUIRED!
Your Norton Subscription Has Expired!
Renew now to keep your pc protected.
If your PC is unprotected, it is at risk for viruses and other malware.

Some users might get frightened and believe that their systems are actually infected, especially when they see that a reputable name in the cybersecurity industry is claiming that. However, one could quickly see deception here:

• Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz URL has nothing to do with any legitimate/official website of the said vendors;
• There is no way a website could identify whether or not your system is infected – only a reputable security program installed on your system could do so;
• No reputable anti-malware would detect viruses and then ask you to purchase a license to remove them.

Redirects to Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz and presence of intrusive ads may indicate adware infection

We have seen a rise in websites that propagate scams of identical content – Protectdevice.org, Tidywarden.store, and Safeprotect.info are just a few examples that use names of Norton or McAfee to sell software illegally. Keep in mind that none of these vendors have anything to do with this scam.

Is my device infected?

There is no definitive answer whether your system is secure 100%, but one thing is clear – the results shown within the scam pop-up are absolutely fake, and you should not believe them. However, there is always a chance that adware installed on your device is redirecting you to phishing pages and exposing you to intrusive ads, so if you are suffering from these symptoms, you should immediately take action and check your system.

1. Uninstall potentially unwanted applications from the system

Before you proceed with these steps, it is important to note that you can remove all the malicious software from your device by simply scanning it with SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes security software. This is especially useful if you are not quite sure which apps are meant to be installed on your system and which ones shouldn't.

Windows

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

Mac

While moving apps into Trash is how you usually delete most normal applications, adware tends to create additional files for persistence. Thus, you should look for .plist and other files that could be related to the virus. If you are not sure, skip this step entirely.

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.

2. Clear your browsers

Adware could also be installed as a browser add-on. In order to get rid of malicious ones, simply click the “Extensions” button (usually located next to the URL bar/settings menu) and uninstall everything suspicious.

After that, you should make sure that your device is cleaned from cookies,^[3] web beacons, and other trackers. You could do that quickly with and effectively with FortectIntego, although a manual solution is also available:

Google Chrome

• Click on Menu and pick Settings.
• Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
• Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
• Click Clear data.

Mozilla Firefox

• Click Menu and pick Options.
• Go to Privacy & Security section.
• Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
• Click on Clear Data…
• Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• Click on Menu and go to Settings.
• Select Privacy and services.
• Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
• Under Time range, pick All time.
• Select Clear now.

Safari

• Click Safari > Clear History…
• From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
• Confirm with Clear History.

3. Disable push notifications

As previously mentioned, users are offered to enable push notifications upon entering the scam website. If you have accidentally enabled them, you can easily block Softwaretuneuplanding.xyz ads via browser settings:

Google Chrome

1. Open the 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 the Settings button next to it.
4. In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the URL's drop-down menu.
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.

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.