“You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” scam (fake) - Free Guide

“You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” scam Removal Guide

What is “You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” scam?

“You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” is a scam that uses QR codes to make people visit malicious websites

"You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX" scam"You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX" is a that is likely to redirect you to malicious websites

“You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” is a fake pop-up message that you may come across while browsing on less secure websites. In some rarer cases, people who are infected with adware or another type of potentially unwanted or malicious software might begin coming across phishing[1] content more frequently.

The fame message claims that visitors have won a free subscription to HBO MAX, and all they have to do is scan the presented QR code to claim the prize. After scanning the code with their mobile phone or another device capable of doing so, they are redirected to one of many predetermined websites, some of which may ask people to enable push notifications or download malicious software. Likewise, redirects to adult-oriented websites are also common.

We recommend you do not explore the websites the “You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” scam redirects you to, or you may end up with various security and privacy issues. The scam is there to trick users and make them spend money on useless services or subscribe to push notifications and then receive spam directly on their desktops.

Name “You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” scam
Type Online scam, fraud, phishing
Related URL youjustwonprize.com
Operation Claims that a user won a two-year subscription to HBO MAX, asks to scan the QR code, then redirects to malicious website advertising PUPs
Dangers Monetary losses, personal data compromise, malware infections
Removal It is recommended you do not scan the code and not download anything. Instead, scan your system with SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner to check it for adware
System fix If you want to clean your web browsers quickly and/or fix virus damage automatically, we recommend using the FortectIntego repair tool

How the scam works

A social engineering scheme's success heavily relies on the user believing that it is legitimate and that they actually have won what they were told they have. Survey or lottery scams and alike often attract users with rather alluring winnings; for example, people might be told that they have won the newest iPhone, and all they need to do is provide their home address or even credit card details to receive it. This way, cybercriminals steal personal user data and use it for malicious purposes later.

The purpose of the “You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” scam is to make users visit potentially dangerous websites, and scammers behind it receive money for it. This is the message that people are shown after accessing the youjustwonprize.com page, one of the websites hosting the fake message:

You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX
To claim your prize please scan this QR code
with your mobile phone’s camera.

Wait! Are you sure you want to refuse the prize? Scan the QR code to get your FREE 2-year subscription

HBO is a popular content-providing service that has been hosting the most popular shows and documentaries, which costs $14.99/per month. It is not hard to see how people might find a free two-year subscription genuinely attractive.

"You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX" fake"You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX" may redirect you to websites that ask to enable push notifications in a fraudulent way

When dealing with these “giveaways,” keep in mind that official ones would never be hosted on random website URLs. Companies such as Amazon, Netflix, or Apple don't randomly pick people to gift them items worth hundreds of dollars.

Disable push notifications if you have allowed them on any of the malicious sites

Push notifications have been used for many years now – they can be employed on both desktop and mobile devices, and many websites offer to enable them upon entry. While some people may opt for that, most users are not willing to expose themselves to potential spam, hence most won't have a lot of experience when it comes to push notifications.

Unfortunately, scammers constantly come up with ideas on how to trick users into subscribing, as they are guaranteed that ads could be served directly to them, regardless of which websites are being visited at the time. By forcefully showing ads to users, scammers can generate revenue over time.

“You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” scam can often lead to websites that ask people to enable notifications in a deceptive manner. For example, you may be told that there's a video to be watched and the only way to view it is by clicking the “Allow” button. As soon as you oblige, you would allow that site to deliver push notification spam to you, and a lot of malicious links and misleading messages are included.

To get rid of the malicious activity, you have to access the site settings within your browser and block the respective URL from sending you these notifications. Follow these steps:

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.Stop notifications on Chrome PC 2

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 SettingsNotification 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.Stop notifications on Mozilla Firefox 2

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.Stop notifications on Safari

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.Stop notifications on Edge Chromium
  5. Click on More actions and select Block.

Clean your system from adware

Without a doubt, most people encounter scam content whenever they have already been visiting suspicious websites, whether intentionally or not. For example, peer-to-peer[2] networks and software crack distributors are very popular grounds for many people, despite them being very dangerous. Not only do they host booby-trapped links, but they also spread malware via repacked software installers or malicious ads.

Alternatively, some people might be redirected to the “You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” scam site due to adware infection. Adware is a type of potentially dangerous software which specializes in advertisements, a lot of which are of poor quality, and users might come across various phishing material online more often because of it.

Therefore, we strongly advise you to check your system for infections with SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, or another security software to ensure it is free from adware or other infections. Adware or malware could also damage your system, resulting in unexpected BSODs,[3] registry errors, and similar stability issues, so we recommend using FortectIntego to remediate it. If you would rather attempt to find and remove adware yourself, please follow the instructions below.

Offer
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Compatible with Microsoft Windows Compatible with macOS
What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of “You have won 2 years subscription to HBO MAX” scam. Follow these steps

Uninstall from Windows

Instructions for Windows 10/8  machines:

  1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program. Uninstall from Windows 1
  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. Uninstall from Windows 2

If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:

  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. Uninstall from Windows 7/XP
  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.

Delete from macOS

Remove items from Applications folder:

  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) Uninstall from Mac 1

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. Uninstall from Mac 2

Uninstall from Android

Uninstall unwanted programs from Android device:

  1. Go to Settings -> Apps/Applications.
  2. Expand the full list of the installed apps.
  3. Scroll through the list and tap on a suspicious application once.
  4. Tap on it and select Uninstall. Uninstall from Android
  5. Reboot the device.

Clear Storage and data files on Android from Google Chrome or other apps:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps/Applications.
  2. Expand the full list of the installed apps.
  3. Tap on Chrome and select Storage & cache.
  4. Clear storage and clear cache of the app. Clear Chrome cache and and data Android

If you are seeing ads on top of other apps but are not sure what is causing it, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to Apps/Applications.
  2. Tap Advanced.
  3. Select Special App access.
  4. Tap on Display over other apps. Check if can display over other Apps Android
  5. Eliminate apps with these access rights enabled.

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. 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. Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data. Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings. Reset Chrome 2

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove. Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Options.
  3. Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data…
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear. Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information. Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox. Reset Firefox 2

Delete from Safari

Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. In the new window, pick Extensions.
  3. Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall. Remove extensions from Safari

Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:

  1. Click Safari > Clear History…
  2. From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
  3. Confirm with Clear History. Clear cookies and website data from Safari

Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:

  1. Click Safari > Preferences…
  2. Go to Advanced tab.
  3. Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  4. From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches. Reset Safari

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click on Uninstall at the bottom. Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear. Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running. Reset MS Edge

If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.

  1. Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
  2. Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
  3. Right-click on them and pick Delete Advanced MS Edge reset 1
  4. Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
  5. When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:

    Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose Advanced MS Edge reset 2

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove. Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now. Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset. Reset Chromium Edge

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.

About the author
Gabriel E. Hall
Gabriel E. Hall - Passionate web researcher

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