Tidywarden.store ads (fake) - Free Instructions

What is Tidywarden.store ads?

Tidywarden.store promotes fake virus infection messages

Tidywarden.store is a fake website made by scammers to trick people into purchasing potently unwanted software

Tidywarden.store is one of many malicious websites that show fake virus infection messages in order to profit from affiliate sales on software. Most people enter this dubious site after clicking a booby-trapped link on torrent and similar high-risk websites, although this is not necessarily a rule – adware could also be the reason for unexpected redirects.

Once on the site, people are shown a security scan that soon shows alarming results: the device is infected with five viruses! The warning comes from Norton, a prominent security vendor. However, everything about this is fake – the vendor has nothing to do with Tidywarden.store, and it was created by cybercriminals. The scan results are also fake, and their main purpose is to frighten users and make them purchase software they don't need.

Scam operation explained and tips not to get tricked

The main goal of fake messages online is to profit from ads, software downloads, or subscriptions to various services. While selling software or services is a completely legitimate practice used by many websites and advertisers, it becomes the opposite when highly misleading messages are used to promote it.

Upon entering Tidywarden.store, users are presented with a fake anti-malware scan, which immediately comes back with the following fake result:

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.

Since the website uses pop-ups, flashing detection triggers, and alarming scan results, some users may get frightened by the prospect that their systems are in grave danger, and scared users are more likely to make mistakes and fall for the scam. They are afraid that their personal information might have been stolen or that their systems were compromised beyond repair. All of these elements are fake and are simply a part of a social engineering^[1] scheme.

Tidywarden.store attempts to imitate Norton security scan

Crooks use various tricks to convince users that Tidywarden.store ads are true. In this case, they are using the name, the logo, and the design of application windows of Norton – a reputable security vendor known for many. Keep in mind that all visual components can be faked, so you shouldn't believe them straight away. Instead, look for the URL of the website showing you these questionable messages, and you'll see they have nothing to do with any legitimate company.

Is my system infected?

Since users encounter scam websites accidentally, they are often caught off guard. Some recognize deception straight away, while others oblige and get tricked by the scam. There are also people who wonder whether their systems got infected after they entered Tidywarden.store, whether they clicked links on it or not.

The likely scenario to get infected is by installing programs or browser extensions promoted on these rogue sites. There is a small chance malware could be installed automatically, although your browser needs to be vulnerable,^[2] and the page needs to host an exploit matching it. Thus, this scenario is highly unlikely.

Whether you interact with the scam site or not, you should still make sure that your system is not infected, as adware is a well-known catalyst for unexpected redirects to phishing websites and an increased number of advertisements.

Make system checks

First of all, we recommend you scan your device with Malwarebytes or SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner security software. These apps can easily check your device and remove everything suspicious – from trojans to potentially unwanted programs. Nonetheless, if you want to perform removal manually, you can follow the provided instructions below.

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 the uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

Mac

While moving apps into Trash is usually how you 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.

After you uninstall all the suspicious programs/applications from your system, it is time to check your browsers. First of all, you should click the “Extensions” button next to the settings menu on your browser and uninstall everything you find suspicious. Sometimes, it is more difficult to determine what causes the disruptive activity if numerous add-ons ate installed at once. In this case, we recommend removing everything.

Finally, you should take care of your privacy. After entering a dubious website or after installing questionable software, cookies^[3] and other trackers are placed on your device. They may remain there for a very long time unless they are deleted. You can employ FortectIntego for this job or follow the steps below:

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.

Safari

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

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.

Internet Explorer

1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select the Advanced tab.
2. Select Reset.
3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

Stop the unwanted push notifications

Phishing websites like Tidywarden.store often ask users to enable push notifications as soon as they enter. This practice is common because users may click the “Allow” button by accident and permit the site to deliver notifications. Unsurprisingly, the push notification contents would also contain various dubious advertisements and links to malicious websites. This way, crooks can expand their operations by not only selling software but also receiving revenue from ads.

If you have enabled push notifications on the site, the activity won't stop until you block the URL on the “Allowed” list within the site settings. Note that you can use the instructions for any other website you would like to stop notifications from.