How to identify scams pages like blocker.digital?

What kind of page is blocker[.]digital?

The purpose of this website is to trick visitors into downloading and installing a potentially unwanted application (PUA). It claims that a device has been hacked and encourages to protect it with a specific application. This and similar pages using scare tactics to promote questionable software have to be ignored.

Blocker[.]digital scam page in detail

Blocker[.]digital displays a fake Apple security warning claiming that the device connection has been hacked and needs to be fixed within two minutes. If not, the hacker will reveal the user's identity and send browsing history, photos made with the front camera to all people in the contacts list.

This page encourages visitors to tap the "Protect your connection" button to download and then install some PUA. Blocker[.]digital could be used to trick visitors into downloading adware, browser hijacker, or other unwanted software. Either way, this site should not be trusted.

Threat Summary:

Name	blocker.digital pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus
Fake Claim	Device has been hacked
Detection Names	Bfore.Ai PreCrime (Malicious), Full List (VirusTotal)
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.

Scams in general

As a rule, scams like blocker[.]digital show fake virus or system notifications claiming that a device has been hacked, infected, or there is some other problem that needs to be solved immediately. Their goal is to promote questionable software. More examples of similar pages are svpni[.]cyou, promoland[.]space, and advanced-checker[.]com.

Websites like blocker[.]digital are promoted through advertisements, other untrustworthy pages, or potentially unwanted apps that most users download or install unknowingly.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Users download or install PUAs by clicking advertisements designed to execute specific scripts, via fake installers or downloaders, installers for programs bundled with PUAs. Advertisements used to distribute PUAs are displayed on untrustworthy pages. Fake installers are promoted on shady pages too.

Downloaders or installers for programs bundled with PUAs have "Custom", "Advanced" or other settings that can be used to deselect unwanted apps. Users download or install PUAs together with other programs when they leave those settings unchanged.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download apps and files from official pages or other legitimate, trustworthy sources. Do not trust (click) advertisements displayed on questionable pages. Do not download or install programs without checking their downloaders or installers for settings that could be used to deselect unwanted apps.

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 fake Apple security warning message:

(17) System notifications
Read important notices about your iOS device.
OK

Apple security
Hackers are watching you!

Your Apple iPhone connection has been hacked and someone is watching on you! Please do not close this page. If you don't fix this in two minutes, the hacker will reveal your identity and send your browsing history and front-facing camera photos to everyone in your contacts!
1 seconds 42 seconds
Recovery method：
Step 1: Click the "Connection Protection" button below.
Step 2: You will be redirected to the App Store.
Step 3: Install and run the recommended protection app to recover your Apple iPhone.
Protect your connection

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 "blocker[.]digital"?
• 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 blocker.digital 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.

blocker.digital pop-up removal from Internet browsers:

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Remove blocker.digital 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 blocker.digital 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 blocker.digital 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scam is a fake virus, error or other notification/message appearing with the purpose to trick unsuspecting users into downloading and installing potentially malicious apps, providing personal information, or performing other actions.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

As a rule, pop-up scams/deceptive websites are promoted through other pages of this kind (for example, through pages using rogue advertising networks), installed untrustworthy apps. Either way, users do not open these scam pages intentionally.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan all websites that you visit and identify/detect the malicious ones (including the pages that display pop-up scams). This app warns users about the aforementioned pages and restricts access to them.

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