Avoid getting scammed by claims made by the shaxon.shop website

What is kind of website is shaxon[.]shop?

While inspecting rogue websites, our research team found the shaxon[.]shop deceptive webpage. It is designed to promote scams, and at the time of research, it ran "Hackers are watching you!". By making false claims about the visitor's device being hacked, infected, or at risk - scams of this kind endorse untrustworthy and malicious apps.

Shaxon[.]shop overview

As mentioned in the introduction, when we accessed the shaxon[.]shop site, it promoted the "Hackers are watching you!" scam. It first displayed a pop-up window presented as a system notification regarding the visitor's iOS device.

The background page claimed that "Apple security" had detected that the user's iPhone connection had been hacked. Supposedly, if the nonexistent threats are not removed - the hacker will send the victim's contacts their personally identifiable information, front-facing camera photos, and browsing history.

The scam encouraged the user to download and install the "recommended protection app" - to avoid the previously mentioned outcomes. Typically, scams of this kind promote fake anti-viruses, adware, browser hijackers, and various PUAs. In rare cases, we have even found such schemes endorsing trojans, ransomware, cryptominers, and other malware.

It is worth mentioning that shaxon[.]shop might run different scams. It has to be emphasized no website can detect threats or issues present on visitors' devices - hence, any that make such claims are scams.

In summary, through sites like shaxon[.]shop - users can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	shaxon.shop scam website
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus
Fake Claim	"Hackers are watching you!"
Disguise	"Apple security"
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	104.21.16.97
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.

Deceptive website examples

We have inspected countless scam-promoting webpages; shieldproblocker[.]xyz, aytonus[.]com, and sandgerl[.]com are just a couple of examples.

The Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. Online scams can use various disguises and make likewise varied claims. However, regardless of what they warn or offer - the end goal is to generate revenue at victims' expense. Therefore, we strongly recommend being vigilant when browsing.

How did I open a scam website?

Scam sites can be accessed via others that use rogue advertising networks; the latter can force-open such webpages or cause redirects to them when hosted content is clicked (e.g., buttons, links, ads, etc.). Adware can also display intrusive adverts that promote scams or force-open websites running them.

Spam browser notifications push deceptive content as well. Additionally, misspelling a URL can result in a redirect to (or a redirection chain landing on) a scam page.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Online scams are mainly encountered through redirects caused by websites using rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, spam browser notifications, intrusive ads, or installed adware.

We advise against using sites that offer pirated content or other dubious services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming or downloading, etc.) as they typically use rogue advertising networks.

It is essential to pay attention to website domains (URLs) and be cautious when entering them. To avoid receiving unwanted browser notifications, do not permit suspicious webpages to deliver them (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.). Instead, we recommend ignoring or denying notification requests (i.e., pressing "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

We also advise downloading only from official/trustworthy sources and approaching installation with care (e.g., using "Custom/Advanced" settings, opting-out all additions, etc.) - to avoid allowing bundled/harmful software into the device.

If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate all threats.

Text presented by the "Hackers are watching you!" scam promoted on the shaxon[.]shop website:

Pop-up:

(17) System notifications

Read important notices about your iOS device.

OK

 

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

 

Background page:

 

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 43 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

Appearance of the shaxon[.]shop website's promoted scam's background page:

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 shaxon[.]shop?
• 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are messages designed to trick users into performing certain actions. For example, victims can be lured into downloading/installing and/or purchasing software, calling fake support lines, making monetary transactions, revealing sensitive information, and so on.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are primarily used to generate revenue. Cyber criminals usually profit by obtaining funds through deception, abusing or selling private data, promoting applications, and proliferating malware.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are promoted on deceptive websites. These sites are mainly accessed via redirects caused by webpages using rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, spam browser notifications, intrusive ads, or installed adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect harmful ones - including rogue, deceptive (scam), and malicious pages. Should you enter such a webpage - you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.

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