Do not trust or download apps from umobile-security.com

What is umobile-security[.]com?

umobile-security[.]com is a deceptive website running a variety of scams. At the time of research, this web page promoted several scam variants, one of which was the "Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged" scheme. The website operates by making false claims (e.g. that the device is infected or the internet connection is unsafe) to promote various products.

Typically, scams of this type promote fake anti-viruses, adware, browser hijackers and other Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs), however, umobile-security[.]com has been observed promoting genuine software products as well. Few users access these sites intentionally - most are redirected to them by intrusive advertisements or PUAs.

No website can detect threats or issues present on visitors' devices.

The version of the "Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged" scam promoted on umobile-security[.]com claims that the visitor's mobile device (iPhone) has suffered damage from 13 viruses. The infections, specified as "Browser Trojans", supposedly originated from recently visited corrupted websites.

The (nonexistent) malware has apparently caused 62% damage to the browser. According to the scheme, unless immediate action is taken, the infection can spread and affect users' photographs, private applications, Facebook accounts and Whatsapp messages.

To remove the bogus threats, visitors are instructed to install the promoted product. The installed app must be updated with latest releases and other, older versions, immediately removed. The other schemes run on umobile-security[.]com are quite similar.

They urge users to download/install a VPN application to protect their internet connections. While umobile-security[.]com has used its deceptive tactics to promote genuine tools, such sites are often used to proliferate untrusted and even malicious software.

Therefore, you are strongly advised against trusting umobile-security[.]com or other similar web pages, since doing so can lead to system infections, financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. You are strongly advised to only download software from official and trustworthy sources.

As mentioned, one of the main causes of rogue redirects to deceptive sites are PUAs already installed on the system, however, as well as force-opening various dubious and malicious web pages, these unwanted apps can have other capabilities. Adware-types deliver pop-ups, banners, coupons and other intrusive advertisements.

Once clicked, the delivered ads redirect to dangerous websites and some can even stealthily download/install rogue software. Browser hijacker-type PUAs modify browser settings to promote fake search engines. The promoted search engines are usually unable to provide unique results, and so they redirect to Yahoo, Bing, Google and other legitimate search engines.

Furthermore, most PUAs (regardless of type and/or other capabilities) can track data. They can record browsing activity (visited URLs, viewed pages, searched queries, etc.) and collect personal information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).

The collected data is then shared with and/or sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). To protect device integrity and user safety, all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be eliminated without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	umobile-security.com pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	Scam claims that visitors' devices are infected and/or implies that their internet connections are unsafe.
Promoted Unwanted Application	Various legitimate and bogus (fake) applications.
Serving IP Address	64.225.2.103
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information.
Malware Removal (Mac)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Iossecure.com, vpnbestapp.com, dheje.xyz, connection-protect.com and ivpnconfig.com are some examples of other scams similar to umobile-security[.]com. The web is full of deceptive sites and they use varied techniques to trick visitors into trusting them.

Popular scam models include warnings that the device is infected or at risk, alerts that a crucial piece of software is out of date or missing, fake prize giveaways and raffles, "unbelievable deals", and so on. Regardless of what these schemes claim, offer, request or demand, the purpose is identical: to generate revenue for the scammers/cyber criminals behind them.

Therefore, you are strongly advised to exercise caution when browsing.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs are often downloaded/installed together with other products. This deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

By rushing through download/installation (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using "Quick/Express" settings, etc.), many users risk unintentionally allowing bundled content into their devices. Intrusive advertisements proliferate PUAs as well.

When clicked, the ads can execute scripts to download/install these applications without users' permission. Some PUAs have "official" download web page.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research all software before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule), and other third party downloaders commonly offer harmful and bundled content, and are therefore untrusted and should be avoided.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, however, they can redirect to dubious and malicious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others).

If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Appearance of "Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged" scam background page run on umobile-security[.]com:

Text presented in this scam variant:

Pop-up:

 

YOUR IPHONE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED

Immediate Action Is Required!

OK

 

--------------------

 

Background:

 

Apple SecurityMonday
28 September 2020
WARNING! Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged by 13 viruses!

 

We have detected that your Browser is (62%) 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 VPN from the App Store.

 

Step 2: Open the app to activate the latest update and remove any older (Infected) versions.

1 minutes and 45 seconds

Remove Virus

Detected By Apple.

Appearance of another scam variant run on umobile-security[.]com:

Text presented in this scam variant:

Install a Secured VPN App From the Appstore For Free and Protect Your Internet Connection!

 

How to Protect Your Connection:

 

Step 1. Click on the Button “Download” Below and Install the Application from the Appstore (for Free)

 

Step 2. Open the Installed Application and Protect Your Internet Connection

DOWNLOAD

Appearance of yet another scam variant run on umobile-security[.]com:

Text presented in this scam variant:

Protect your Privacy - get Free VPN app from AppStore

 

Stay private with our FREE VPN App

 

To protect your privacy, follow these steps:

 

1. Install the VPN from App Store
2. Open the App
3. Use it when you want to change your IP

 

INSTALL NOW

Legitimate application promoted by umobile-security[.]com scam website:

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

First, go to "Settings", and 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 Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. 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. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is "umobile-security[.]com"?
• 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 adware-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 exact 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 exact 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 correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure 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 the 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 its virus definition database and click the "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.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

Open the 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 regular browser operation.

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

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

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

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

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

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