Theupgradedata.com ads (spam) - Free Guide

What is Theupgradedata.com ads?

Theupgradedata.com is a trap set up by crooks to trick people into receiving spam

Push notifications from rogue networks can put your security at risk

Theupgradedata.com is a bogus website designed to trick people into subscribing to push notifications. When people click on the “Allow” button they start getting spammed with annoying pop-up ads that can appear even when the browser is closed. Crooks may use rogue advertising networks that place ads leading to dangerous websites.

As a result, people can end up on scam pages that try to lure out personal information, or trick them into installing PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),^[1] and even malware. Users can suffer from monetary losses, identity theft, and operating system damage.

Usually, people report seeing ads promoting adult sites, fake antivirus offers, software deals, surveys, giveaways, etc. It is important to disable these notifications as soon as possible, especially if there are other people using the affected machine. Read our guide to find out how.

Distribution methods

Pages, like Theupgradedata.com rarely pop up in the search results. Usually, they are hidden on other shady websites that are unregulated. Most of the time, this includes pages that engage in illegal activities, for example, illegal streaming websites. They are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. Some of them may even display fake “Download” and “Play” buttons.

That is why it is best to only visit websites that you know and trust. Do not click on random links and ads even if they seem to be promoting legitimate products and services. Crooks may use social engineering methods to disguise their scams.

Dangers of adware

If you experience unwanted symptoms, like an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects, you may be infected by adware. It is advertising-supported software that is mostly spread on freeware distribution platforms.

They include additional programs in the installers and hope that most people will not notice. It is best to use official app stores and developer websites. It may get costly but you may save in the long run by keeping your system running smoothly. You should also always choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation methods, and check the file list. Untick the boxes next to any unrelated applications.

Avoid adware by installing programs from official sources

Block push notifications

Because push notifications are based on a subscription model, users need to disable them manually. If you do not know how, here are the instructions for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, MS Edge:

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.

Cookies can track browsing activity

Almost all websites nowadays require people to accept cookie usage. Because you experienced pop-up spam, there is a big chance you were browsing through questionable sites that could still be tracking your browsing activity. Cookies^[2] can store data such as the websites you visit, links you click on, things you type in the search, and what you purchase online.

This data can later be sold to advertising networks or other third parties. We recommend using a repair tool like FortectIntego, which can automatically clear your browsers from cookies and cache, clear up space, fix corrupted files, system errors and optimize the performance of the device.

Scan your system for adware

Usually, crooks disguise adware^[3] as “handy” tools that most users would not suspect. Because there is no way of knowing which specific app is causing this annoying behavior, we always suggest our readers use professional security tools like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes to scan their PCs. Anti-malware tools can detect suspicious programs that are active in the background and eliminate them completely with all the related files.

Manual removal may result in the renewal of infection as people often fail to eliminate all the related files and entries, however, if you still want to do this yourself, you can follow the guide below for Windows and Mac machines.

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.