Wish-card.in ads: what it is and how to remove it
Wish-card.in is a shady website that claims to be able to send a mother's day card. In reality, this site causes ads to appear and asks users for personal information which can result in monetary losses or installations of PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) and malware.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Wish-card.in ads: summary
| Distribution | Shady websites, deceptive ads, freeware installations |
|---|---|
| NAME | Wish-card.in |
| TYPE | Online scam; adware |
| SYMPTOMS | A spammy website appears supposedly offering to send your mother a "thank you" card |
| DANGERS | The website may ask users to fill out their personal information which could lead to the installation of PUPs, malware, and monetary losses |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| 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 11 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | Wish-card.in |
| Type | Push-notification spam site |
| Symptoms | Notification spam from a website |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | wish-card.in |
| Ads shown as | Desktop notifications |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| Installed on the PC | Nothing; a browser notification permission only |
| First seen | 27 December 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Wish-card.in ads dangerous?
From our report of Dec 2021 · not reviewed since
Wish-card.in is a website that supposedly offers digital gift cards on mother's day
Wish-card.in is a shady website that claims to be able to send a mother's day card.
In reality, this site causes ads to appear and asks users for personal information which can result in monetary losses or installations of PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) and malware.
The website targets countries that speak the Hindi language, like India and Pakistan. It is unclear what is the exact purpose of this site but it was definitely created to monetize user activity. If you see such websites quite often, you should check your system for adware or malicious browser extensions.
How Wish-card.in ads got into your browser
From our report of Dec 2021 · not reviewed since
It is not common to find such pages in the search results.
Usually, they appear when users are browsing through already shady sites that are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. Most of the time these are sites that engage in illegal activities because they are unregulated. That includes illegal streaming platforms and torrent sites.
That is why it is so important to be careful while surfing the web. Do not click on random links and make sure the website you are using is safe. Fraudsters have come up with clever social engineering tactics to fool users into performing various tasks just to get something in return.
Another reason why you may see Wish-card.in is adware. It is a type of PUP that hides in the background of your system and generates commercial content.
You may experience pop-ups, banners, and unexpected redirects. Adware generates revenue for it developers by using pay-per-click advertising. Every time you click on an ad placed by adware, they get a cut.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
wish-card.in
How to remove Wish-card.in ads
How to stop Wish-card.in notifications
Do this in every browser you use, and in every profile inside it: each keeps its own list of sites allowed to send notifications.
Nothing has to be uninstalled for the notifications themselves.
Which browser shows the ads?
Step 1: Remove wish-card.in from Chrome's notification list
Chrome keeps a list of every site you once allowed to send notifications, and
wish-card.inis on it. Pastechrome://settings/content/notificationsinto the address bar, find wish-card.in 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 wish-card.in, 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 wish-card.in from Edge's notification list
Open Settings and more (the three dots) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications. Remove
wish-card.infrom 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 wish-card.in from Firefox's notification permissions
Open the menu (three lines) > Settings and click Permissions and data in the left list, then Notifications. Select
wish-card.in, 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: Scan the PC if you downloaded anything from the ads
If you only saw the notifications and clicked nothing, you can stop before this step. If a notification led you to download or run something, delete that file, then scan Windows.
In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan, then choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and Scan now. The offline scan restarts the PC and takes about 15 minutes on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
More removal instructions
For programs installed on the PC and older browsers. Open the one you need.
Remove suspicious extensions
Removing add-ons is possible only the manual way, so you will have to go to your browser settings.
We have provided instructions for the most frequently used browsers. Keep in mind that this removal method might not work because a potentially unwanted program might be affecting your computer. Go to the settings, and remove the plugins one by one to see if you notice any changes:
MS Edge (Chromium)
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click on Uninstall at the bottom.
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove.
- Click Safari > Preferences...
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Bundled software dangers
One way you could have gotten in this trouble is by downloading a potentially unwanted program.
Most of the time users do this unintentionally by not paying attention during the installation process. These programs come bundled together with software from unofficial sources.
Freeware distribution sites are the main channels for spreading PUPs. They include additional programs in the installers and do not disclose this on their pages. Users do not notice them because they rush through the process and get too excited to try the new program.
You should always be attentive during this process and choose the "Custom" or "Advanced" installation method. Do not skip through the steps; read the Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy, and uncheck the boxes next to the files that are not needed. The best option is always using official developer websites or web stores to install software.
Identifying which program is responsible for causing unwanted symptoms in your browser might be hard if you have never done it before. The program could be disguised as a handy program that you would not suspect - an antivirus, system optimizer, or video converter.
Manual removal often results in failure because users uninstall only the program but cannot remove entries from the registry or hidden files. This can result in the renewal of the infection. If you still want to do this yourself, here are the steps for Windows and Mac systems:
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
- 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 encountering a website like Wish-card.in you should take care of your browsers.
It might still be collecting data about you with the help of cookies. they are small data files that are stored on your device, so you can delete them at any time. They may contain information like your IP address, browser version, websites you visit, links you click on, and things you purchase online.
Cookies are not inherently a bad thing. They can help websites and web-based apps personalize the user experience. But more often than not, they are used to make a profit by selling them to advertising networks or other third parties. There have also been instances where cookies got hijacked and used for malicious purposes so it is a good idea to clean them regularly.
You can choose to use a maintenance tool that can perform a scan automatically for you. Besides cleaning all the junk and improving the performance of your device it can fix various system errors, corrupted files, and registry issues which is especially helpful after a virus infection.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
Questions about Wish-card.in ads
How do I stop notifications from wish-card.in?
Remove its permission in the browser. The bottom line of each notification names the browser, so open that browser's notification settings and look under Allowed. Remove wish-card.in and any other site you do not recognise.
In Chrome and Edge this is under the site settings for notifications; in Firefox it is under Settings, Permissions and data, Notifications. Do this in every browser profile, because each one keeps its own list.
Restart the browser and wait a few minutes. If a message still arrives, read its bottom line again: the sending address can differ from the site you remember, and that is the entry still left in the list.
I clicked a notification from wish-card.in. What should I do?
If you only opened the page and closed it, nothing else is needed besides removing the permission from wish-card.in. If the page asked for card details, a phone number or a password and you entered them, act on that: call the bank to block the card, or change the password from another device.
If it offered a download, delete the file unopened, or uninstall it from Installed apps if you ran it, then run a full scan. If you called a number shown on the page, follow the steps for callers in this guide. Finally, remove the permission so that no more messages arrive.
Why does Wish-card.in show me ads?
Because that is its whole purpose. Wish-card.in is a push-notification spam site, and its operators are paid for every ad it displays and every click it gets. In this case the ads take the form of desktop notifications.
They are chosen by ad networks that accept almost any advertiser, which is why so many look like warnings or prizes. The ads are not a sign that your PC is broken or infected with something worse; they are a sign that something on it, or in the browser, has permission to advertise. Removing that permission or program stops them.
Is wish-card.in safe to visit?
No. The site wish-card.in exists to push visitors towards ads, and the pages it leads to include fake virus warnings, fake updates, prize scams and notification prompts. Visiting it once does not infect an up-to-date PC, but anything you click or download there is a gamble.
Do not enter personal details, do not allow notifications and do not call phone numbers it shows. If it opens by itself, close the tab and check the browser's extensions and notification permissions. Blocking the single domain helps little, because the operators register new names regularly.
Which browser is sending the wish-card.in notifications?
Each notification shows the name of the browser and the site in its small print. In the cases we saw, the messages from wish-card.in came through Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Permissions are stored per browser and per profile, so removing the site in one browser does not affect another.
If you use several Chrome or Edge profiles, check each one. If you sync the browser with an account, remove the permission while signed in, otherwise another computer may still hold it and keep receiving the same messages.
How do I know the ads come from Wish-card.in?
Look for notifications from wish-card.in. That is the trace Wish-card.in leaves, and it shows up as desktop notifications. Ads that appear on every site, including ones that never carried ads before, point to something on your PC or in the browser rather than to the sites themselves.
A quick test is a private window, where extensions are off by default: if the ads disappear there, an extension is responsible. If they appear even with the browser closed, the source is a notification permission or a program in Windows.
Will Focus or Do not disturb stop the notifications?
Only for as long as it is on. Do not disturb in Windows 11 holds back notifications from all apps, including browsers, and releases them to the notification centre later. The site still has permission and the messages still arrive.
Use the browser's notification settings to remove the site instead: once its permission is gone, it cannot send anything, whatever Windows is set to. Keep Do not disturb for what it is meant for, such as meetings, presentations and quiet hours.
An ad showed a phone number and I called it. What now?
The number belongs to scammers, not to Microsoft or an antivirus company. If you only talked, hang up and do not call back. If you let them connect to the PC, disconnect it from the internet, uninstall the remote access program they used, such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect or UltraViewer, and run a full and offline scan.
If you paid or gave bank details, call your bank at once on the number printed on your card. Change any passwords you typed while they were connected, and report the call.
Did clicking Allow install anything on my PC?
No. Allowing notifications stores a permission in the browser and nothing else. No file is downloaded and no program is added to Windows, which is also why antivirus scans find nothing. The risk comes later, from the notifications themselves: they lead to scam pages, fake updates and phishing forms.
Remove the permission in each browser where you allowed it. If you clicked a notification and downloaded something afterwards, delete that file and run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan.
Will Fortect remove Wish-card.in?
No program removes Wish-card.in itself, because there is nothing on the PC to remove: the notifications come through a permission saved in the browser, and only the browser's settings take it away, as the steps above show.
What Fortect can do is check the rest of Windows. Its free scan looks for malware, unwanted programs and damaged system files, which is useful if you clicked the ads, downloaded something from the pages they opened, or are not sure what else changed on the PC.
If the scan finds nothing and the notifications stopped after you removed the permission, this problem is solved. Use Microsoft Defender as a second opinion whenever you have downloaded files from pages like these.
Sources
- HowToGeek: PUPs Explained: What is a "Potentially Unwanted Program"? (read October 6, 2026)
- Kaspersky: What are Cookies? (read October 6, 2026)
- BigCommerce: What is an advertising network? (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)