Stop a browser from causing redirects to safetyvpn.net

How to remove safetyvpn[.]net from Mac?

What is safetyvpn[.]net?

Safetyvpn[.]net is one of the many deceptive websites that are designed to trick visitors into believing that their devices are infected with viruses. It targets mostly mobile devices such as iPad and iPhone, but can be visited by desktop computer users too. The main purpose of these pages is to advertise one or another app that supposed to remove detected fake viruses, errors, and so on. We advise not to trust pages like safetyvpn[.]net or download/install apps that are promoted through them. There are many cases where deceptive pages are opened on browsers by installed potentially unwanted apps (PUAs).

Once visited, safetyvpn[.]net displays a pop-up with information that iPhone has been compromised and encourages visitors to solve this problem immediately. Another safetyvpn[.]net page displays a fake warning, it is stated that iPhone is severely damage by 6 viruses. Additionally, it says that safetyvpn[.]net detected a Trojan that has infected a browser while a user was visiting some corrupted websites. To prevent any further damage, visitors are encouraged to remove viruses by clicking the "Remove Virus" button. At the time of the research it led to a download page (in Apple's App Store) of SecureCall PRO and Outlaw VPN applications. However, it is very likely that safetyvpn[.]net might be used to promote even more different applications. Now it is worth mentioning that applications that can be downloaded from the App Store are very likely to be legitimate, however, it is not recommended to trust software that is promoted through pages like safetyvpn[.]net, or to trust pages of this type at all.

Quite often browsers open pages like safetyvpn[.]net because installed PUAs make them to. In addition to unwanted redirects, PUAs usually collect various information as well. Typically, they are designed to gather data such as geolocations, URLs of visited websites, entered search queries, IP addresses and other, sometimes personal details. People behind these apps usually send collected data to other parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse them to generate revenue. This might lead to problems with browsing safety, privacy or even more serious issues like identity theft. For this reason PUAs that are installed on a browser (or computer) should be removed as soon as possible.

Threat Summary:

Name	safetyvpn.net pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
Serving IP Address	157.230.152.172
Detection Names	Sophos AV (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Promoted Application	SecureCall PRO and Outlaw VPN
Symptoms	Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites, loss of private information.
Removal	To eliminate safetyvpn.net pop-up our malware researchers recommend scanning your computer with Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner.

Safetyvpn[.]net is similar to numberonevpn[.]com, mobillevpn[.]info, thevpnsafety[.]com and other pages of this kind. Most of the times they are designed to promote various apps in deceptive ways (by informing their visitors about detected fake viruses, errors, etc.). Even if those apps are legitimate, we do not advise to download or install them because of the methods that developers use to promote them. PUAs are apps that should not be trusted as well. Most of the times they are useless and cause various problems.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Various unwanted apps usually get installed via intrusive, deceptive advertisements that people click or when developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". They use this method with a purpose to trick people into downloading and/or installing PUAs together with other programs that people usually download from the Internet intentionally. To achieve it, they hide offers to download or install additional software in settings like "Custom", "Advanced" of various software setups. Unfortunately, people often leave these settings unchecked, in other words, they do not change them and by not doing so they allow PUAs to be downloaded or installed within other, desired software.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Do not download programs from unofficial, untrustworthy websites, through Peer-to-Peer networks, third party downloaders and other similar tools/sources. We strongly recommend to use only official websites and direct download links for that. Furthermore, all settings that are available in various setups settings should not be left unchecked. In other words, offers to download or install additional, unwanted apps should be dismissed. We also recommend not to trust (click) intrusive ads, especially if they are shown on shady pages. For example, on websites related to gambling, adult dating, pornography and so on. These ads lead to various potentially malicious pages or cause downloads/installations of unwanted, potentially malicious apps. If there are any unwanted apps installed on a browser (such as extensions, add-ons or plug-ins), they should be removed as soon as possible. They might be the reason behind unwanted redirects and ads. Additionally, we recommend to remove all unwanted programs that are installed on the system too. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshot of a pop-up that gets displayed when safetyvpn[.]net is just visited:

Text presented in this pop-up:

Your iPhone Has Been Compromised

Immediate Action Is Required!

Screenshot of a second safetyvpn[.]net page:

Text presented in this page (desktop and mobile version):

WARNING!
Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged by (6) viruses!
We have detected that your Browser is (45.4%) DAMAGED by BROWSER TROJAN VIRUSES picked up while surfing recent corrupted sites.
Immediate action is required to prevent it from spreading and infecting sensitive data like your Facebook account, Whatsapp messages photos and private applications.
Here is how you can solve this in just a few seconds (Step by Step)
Step 1: Tap REMOVE VIRUS to install SecureCall from the App Store.
Step 2: Open the application to activate the latest update and remove any older (Infected) versions.
Remove Virus

Appearance of safetyvpn[.]net scam (GIF):

SecureCall PRO download page:

Download page of Outlaw VPN:

To enable pop-up blocking, fraudulent website warnings, and remove web browsing data in mobile Apple devices, follow these steps:

First, go to "Settings", then scroll down to find and tap "Safari".

Check if the "Block Pop-ups" and "Fraudulent Website Warning" toggles are enabled. If not, enable them immediately. Then, scroll down and tap "Advanced".

Tap "Website Data" and then "Remove All Website Data".

Instant automatic removal of safetyvpn.net pop-up: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of safetyvpn.net pop-up. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner.

Quick menu:

• What is safetyvpn[.]net?
• STEP 1. Remove PUA related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Potentially unwanted applications removal:

Remove potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select "Applications". In the applications folder, look for "MPlayerX", "NicePlayer", or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove safetyvpn.net pop-up related files and folders:

Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents

In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/Application Support

In the “Application Support” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, “MplayerX” or “NicePlayer”, and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for adware-generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents folder:

In the Go to Folder bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents

In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.

Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons

In the “LaunchDaemons” folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preferences.plist”, "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, etc., and move them to the Trash.

 Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure your system is not infected run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file double click combocleaner.dmg installer, in the opened window drag and drop Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates it's virus definition database and click "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide, otherwise it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

safetyvpn.net pop-up removal from Internet browsers:

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Remove safetyvpn.net pop-up related Safari extensions:

Open Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Remove safetyvpn.net pop-up related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:

Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the "Open Menu" (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose "Add-ons".

Choose the "Extensions" tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Remove" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Remove safetyvpn.net pop-up related Google Chrome add-ons:

Open Google Chrome and click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose "More Tools" and select "Extensions".

In the "Extensions" window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Trash" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.