Vital-scanner.com ads (fake) - Free Guide
Vital-scanner.com ads Removal Guide
What is Vital-scanner.com ads?
Vital-scanner.com is a fake site designed to look like a security alert from McAfee
Fake security alerts seek to trick people into installing antivirus apps
Vital-scanner.com looks like a security alert from McAfee. However, McAfee has nothing to do with this fraudulent campaign. Crooks are only using this branding to appear trustworthy. When people stumble upon this site, crooks use social engineering methods to convince them their system is infected.
The page even shows a fake system scan animation. You should keep in mind, that websites cannot perform such scans. The main goal of this scam is to redirect users to the official McAfee websites so crooks could get a cut from every subscription purchase through the affiliate program.
NAME | Vital-scanner.com |
TYPE | Push notification spam, adware |
SYMPTOMS | Users may start seeing pop-ups that say their system is infected; the amount of commercial content on the machine might increase |
DISTRIBUTION | Shady websites; deceptive ads; freeware installations |
DANGERS | The website may cause unnecessary installations of antivirus programs or cause pop-ups leading to shady sites |
ELIMINATION | Check your browser for malicious browser extensions, and scan your machine with anti-malware tools; follow our guide for push notification removal instructions |
FURTHER STEPS | Use FortectIntego to clear your browsers and get rid of any remaining damage |
Distribution methods
Pages, like Vital-scanner.com, are rarely discovered through search results. Usually, they hide on other shady sites that are unregulated. For example, illegal streaming websites are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. They can display fake “Download” and “Play” buttons.
If users are browsing through such pages, and see a “You've visited illegal infected website,” this makes the scam very believable. You should only visit sites that you know and trust. Do not click on random links and ads even if they seem to be promoting legitimate products and services.
What is adware?
There is also a possibility that you see deceptive sites because you are infected with adware.[1] It is advertising-supported software that can cause pop-ups, banners, and redirects. Often, the ads placed are from rogue advertising networks. As a result, people end up on dangerous pages, that try to trick them into providing personal information, downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),[2] and even malware.
Scam websites can also be opened automatically by adware
Check the browser for malicious extensions
Check if your browser is affected by a browser hijacker. Some of the symptoms may include changed settings, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine. Web-based applications can automatically redirect users to scam sites, like Vital-scanner.com. Therefore, you should go to your browser settings and see if there are any plugins added. We recommend removing the apps one by one to see if you notice any changes.
Disable push notifications
To stop annoying virus alerts from Vital-scanner.com, you have to block the site permissions that allow it to show push notifications. You can do that by following our step-by-step guide:
Google Chrome (desktop):
- Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
- Scroll down and click on Advanced.
- Locate the Privacy and security section and pick Site Settings > Notifications.
- Look at the Allow section and look for a suspicious URL.
- Click the three vertical dots next to it and pick Block. This should remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome.
Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
- Click on Privacy & Security section.
- Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click Settings button next to it.
- In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the drop-down menu by the URL in question.
- Select Block and then click on Save Changes. This should remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox.
MS Edge:
- Open Microsoft Edge, and click the Settings and more button (three horizontal dots) at the top-right of the window.
- Select Settings and then go to Advanced.
- Under Website permissions, pick Manage permissions and select the URL in question.
- Toggle the switch to the left to turn notifications off on Microsoft Edge.
Use anti-malware tools to scan your machine
If you disabled push notifications and checked the browser for extensions but still experience unwanted symptoms like 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 for PUP (potentially unwanted program)[ removal.
It should detect most suspicious processes and remove them successfully. Of course, you can also remove a PUP manually, but it is unknown which particular app could be causing the annoying behavior, as crooks disguise them as “handy” tools. Manual uninstallation can also leave some traces of the program behind which could result in the renewal of the infection.
However, if you still do not want to use security tools and know which program is at fault, use the instructions below to help you uninstall it:
Windows 10/8:
- Enter Control Panel into 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.
Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Mac:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- 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:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Clear your browsers
After removal is complete, we recommend using FortectIntego repair tool to care for your browsers. Almost every website you visit uses cookies[3] to track your browsing activity, like the pages you visit, links you click on, and purchases you make. They can be used for profit and sold to advertising networks or other third parties.
How to prevent from getting adware
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
- ^ Adware. Malwarebytes. Cybersecurity Basics.
- ^ Potentially unwanted program. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- ^ Dusan Vasic. What Are Cookies? The Good and the Bad of Browser Cookies. Dataprot. Security Solutions.