Tionscalen.top POP-UP Scam (Mac)

What is tionscalen[.]top?

tionscalen[.]top is one of many deceptive websites that use a scare tactic to trick users into believing they must download and install (sometimes even buy) a potentially unwanted application (PUA).

One common tactic used by tionscalen[.]top and similar pages to trick unsuspecting into unnecessary downloads and installations is to display fake virus notifications (that the device is infected) and urge them to take immediate action.

Generally, websites such as tionscalen[.]top are promoted through dubious advertisements, bogus websites, and PUAs. I.e., users do not often visit them intentionally.

tionscalen[.]top scam

tionscalen[.]top displays a fake system window, stating that the iPhone is exposed to advertisements and malware, and recommends protecting data and blocking ads with an ad blocker called ProtectAd.

It is possible that tionscalen[.]top could also be used to advertise other potentially unwanted applications. For example, adware, browser hijackers, or even malicious applications. Sometimes pages like tionscalen[.]top offer download and installation of legitimate applications, however, they are falsely advertised (they use scare tactics to trick people into installing software).

The tionscalen[.]top website also redirects visitors to a number of other deceptive websites, such as securitymobile[.]club, protectad[.]online, peachsecureeu[.]com, system-protection-required[.]com, and so on. These pages are similar to tionscalen[.]top, and use scare tactics to trick visitors into installing various applications, which supposedly to protect devices from malware, block ads, secure internet connections, etc. Despite this, tionscalen[.]top and similar pages are bogus and should be avoided.

These rogue sites are promoted via deceptive ads, which can appear on various bogus, potentially malicious pages. Clicking the ads can open other bogus sites (like tionscalen[.]top), which are also promoted via PUAs that users have installed on their devices and/or browsers.

PUAs also collect data relating to user's browsing activities (e.g., Internet Protocol addresses, entered search queries, addresses of visited pages, geolocations) and display coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and other ads.

Some PUAs can access private, sensitive details (credit card details, passwords, or other personal information).

Therefore, remove these rogue apps from browsers and operating systems.

Threat Summary:
Name	tionscalen.top pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus
Fake Claim	iPhone is exposed to malware and advertisements
Serving IP Address	99.84.160.69
Promoted Unwanted Application	ProtectAd
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 (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

More examples of deceptive websites similar to tionscalen[.]top are phone-security[.]me, protect-connection[.]com, and support-notify[.]space. Note that legitimate system warnings (e.g., virus alerts) never prompt users to take immediate action (fix the error, remove virus, install software, etc.).

Furthermore, Apple devices are quite well protected from viruses. Therefore, when a pop-up or a website such as tionscalen[.]top claims that the device is infected (or displays a similar message), it should be ignored.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs are distributed via download/installation set-ups of other products. This deceptive marketing tactic of packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and settings, etc.) increases the risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the system.

Some PUAs have "official" download sites. Intrusive advertisements proliferate these applications as well. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent.

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.

Regularly scan your computer with reputable antivirus or anti-spyware software and keep this software up to date.

If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshot of the background page:

tionscalen.top pop-up scam background page

Text in this page:

Back Software update

iOS AdBlock recommendation profile
23 MB
Your iPhone is exposed to ads and malware.

If you do not install an appropriate Ad-Blocker, You are exposed to annoying ads and malwares.

Follow the simple steps below to protect all your data and block ads:

Detailed
Step 1: Click the button below to install the Ad-Blocker.

Step 2: Use an Ad-Blocker to get complete data protection 24/7

Step 3: Use an Ad-Blocker when you want to block all ads.

Download and install

Screenshot of the promoted app (ProtectAd):

tionscalen.top pop-up scam promotes ProtectAd

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".

remove pop-ups and clear cache step 1

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

disable pop-ups and clear cache step 2

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

disable pop-ups and clear cache step 3

Instant automatic 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 malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner

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. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

What is "tionscalen[.]top"?
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:

mac browser hijacker removal from 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.

DOWNLOAD remover for malware infections

Combo Cleaner checks if your computer is infected with malware. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Remove adware-related files and folders

Mac Go To Folder step

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

Mac removing related files and folders - step 1 Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

Mac go to /Library/LaunchAgents - step 1

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

Mac go to /Library/LaunchAgents - step 2

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.

Mac removing related files and folders - step 2 Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

Mac go to /Library/Application Support - step 1

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

Mac go to /Library/Application Support - step 2

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

Mac removing related files and folders - step 3 Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

Mac go to ~/Library/LaunchAgents - step 1

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

Mac go to ~/Library/LaunchAgents - step 2

Mac removing related files and folders - step 4 Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

Mac go to /Library/LaunchDaemons - step 1

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

Mac go to /Library/LaunchDaemons - step 2

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.

Mac removing malware related files and folders - step 5 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.

Mac remove malware with Combo Cleaner - step 1

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.

Mac remove malware with Combo Cleaner - step 2

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:

Removal of malicious extensions in Safari - step 1

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

Removal of malicious extensions in Safari - step 2

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:

Removal of malicious extensions in Google Chrome - step 1

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".

Removal of malicious extensions in Google Chrome - step 2

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

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Removal of malicious extensions in Mozilla Firefox - step 1

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".