How to remove apps used to promote topdefence-formob.com

What is topdefence-formob[.]com?

topdefence-formobp[.]com is one of many deceptive websites designed to deceive visitors into downloading and installing potentially unwanted applications (PUAs). In most cases, these websites display notifications claiming that the device is infected with viruses, and encourage people to use specific software to remove them.

Note that users do not often visit pages such as topdefence-formobp[.]com intentionally - they are usually opened via other untrusted web pages, deceptive ads, or installed PUAs.

There are at least four variants of the topdefence-formobp[.]com website. All are used for the same purpose: to deceive visitors into installing a potentially unwanted application. For example, Topdefence-formobp[.]com claims that the device is infected with a number of viruses or Trojans, and encourages users to remove them immediately.

At the time of research, topdefence-formobp[.]com offered installation of an app called Norton Secure VPN - Proxy VPN. It might also be used to promote other PUAs. No software should be downloaded from or through pages such as topdefence-formobp[.]com.

Use only official websites. As mentioned, websites such as topdefence-formobp[.]com are often promoted via PUAs that users have inadvertently installed. These rogue apps can open dubious pages, serve advertisements and collect data.

PUAs serve coupons, surveys, banners, pop-ups and other types of advertisements. Commonly, these ads can open dubious websites or even execute certain scripts that cause download/installation of unwanted applications. PUAs collect IP addresses, geolocations, entered search queries, addresses of visited websites and other information relating to users' browsing habits.

In some cases, they gather private, sensitive details. The data can be misused to generate revenue by selling it to third parties (possibly, cyber criminals) or in other ways.

Threat Summary:

Name	topdefence-formob.com pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	Device is infected with viruses.
Serving IP Address	64.225.2.103
Promoted Unwanted Application	Norton Secure VPN - Proxy VPN
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.

More examples of pages similar to topdefence-formobp[.]com are umobile-security[.]com, apps-notification[.]com and securityvpnapp[.]com. They are designed by scammers who attempt to trick unsuspecting users into downloading and installing an application that apparently removes viruses that a deceptive website has supposedly detected.

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 of software (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 pages from which they can be downloaded.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Download software and files from official websites and via direct links. It is not safe to use torrent clients, eMule (or other Peer-to-Peer networks), third party downloaders, unofficial websites or other sources of this kind. Avoid third party installers. Check "Advanced", "Custom" and other settings, and decline offers to download or install unwanted software.

Do not click ads that are displayed on dubious websites, since they can open other untrusted websites or even cause unwanted downloads and installations. Remove any unwanted, suspicious applications (extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins) that are installed on the browser.

The same should be applied to programs of this kind that are installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Text in the initial pop-up of the main topdefence-formob[.]com variant:

YOUR IPHONE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED
Immediate Action Is Required!
OK

Screenshot of the second page of the main topdefence-formob[.]com variant:

Text in this page:

Apple SecurityFriday
2 October 2020
WARNING! Your Apple iPhone is probably infected with 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.
Push the scan button to check your device.

1 minutes and 57 seconds
Scan
Detected By Apple.

Screenshot of the third page of the main topdefence-formob[.]com variant:

Text in this page:

MALWARE DETECTED

 

Action Required

 

Several Trojan viruses have been detected, your device is heavily damaged and needs to be repaired.

 

If you don't repair your device:
• Your battery will overheat
• Your list of contacts will be lost
• Your photos will be lost
• Your SIM-card may be damaged
If you want to delete viruses and repair your device, push the continue button and arrange anti-virus trial on the next page.

 

Сontinue

Appearance of the main topdefence-formob[.]com variant (GIF):

Screenshot of the pop-up on the second variant of topdefence-formob[.]com:

Text in this pop-up:

YOUR IPHONE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED
Immediate Action Is Required!
OK

Screenshot of the background page of this variant:

Text in this page:

Apple SecurityFriday
2 October 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 57 seconds
Remove Virus
Detected By Apple.

Screenshot of the third variant of topdefence-formob[.]com:

Text in this 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

Screenshot of the fourth variant of topdefence-formob[.]com:

Text in this 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

Screenshot of the app promoted on third and fourth variants:

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 computer 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 topdefence-formob[.]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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