Do not trust fake McAfee sites claiming your device might have been infected

What is "McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites"?

Upon inspection of "McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites" – we determined that it is a scam. It claims that the user's device may have been infected through potentially visited malicious websites.

These claims are false, and they are in no way associated with any legitimate products, services, or companies. Typically, schemes of this kind promote untrustworthy and harmful software.

"McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites" scam overview

When a page running this scam is accessed, it presents the visitor with a pop-up window. Supposedly, a "safety warning" from McAfee states that there is a possibility that the user has recently visited compromised websites. Due to this, their device has likely been infected with viruses.

The bogus alert clarifies that the browsed sites could have been illegal streaming or adult-oriented webpages. The user is encouraged to run an anti-virus scan and eliminate the potential threats.

It must be emphasized that the information provided by this scheme is false, and this content is not associated with McAfee Corp. or its products/services.

While it is true that computers can be infected through malicious sites, the claims made by this scam have no basis. Although this scheme is carefully phrased, that does not change the fact that this is a scare tactic used by scammers to trick victims into performing specific actions.

In most cases, fake threat alerts and system scans are used to endorse questionable software. The promoted apps can be fake anti-viruses, browser hijackers, adware, and various PUAs. We have even found rare instances wherein such schemes were utilized to proliferate trojans, ransomware, and other malware.

It is also possible for scams to endorse legitimate products and services. In these cases, the goal is to abuse the genuine content's affiliate programs so that the scammers could obtain illegitimate commissions.

To summarize, victims of scams like "McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites" may experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	"McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites" pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Device might be infected due to potentially visited compromised websites.
Disguise	McAfee
Related Domains	bcvsfa[.]cfd, securitysoft[.]website
Detection Names (bcvsfa[.]cfd)	Bfore.Ai PreCrime (Malicious), Yandex Safebrowsing (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (bcvsfa[.]cfd)	104.21.82.65
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
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 read more.

Similar scam examples

"Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses", "TotalAV Security - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!", "Google Safe Browser Total Protection", "CCleaner Total Protection", "Security Protection Center", and "Avast - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" are just some examples of scams similar to "McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites".

Fake virus/error alerts and hoax system scans are most commonly used to promote dubious and potentially malicious programs. However, these schemes could also be used to acquire illegitimate commissions for legitimate content promotion, trick users into allowing cyber criminals to remotely access devices, lure victims into disclosing sensitive information, etc.

It must be mentioned that there are countless scam models utilized for various purposes. However, the end goal is almost always the same – to generate revenue at victims' expense.

How did I open a scam website?

Scam sites can be force-opened the moment a webpage that employs rogue advertising networks is accessed. Rogue pages can also generate redirects to the former when hosted content is clicked or otherwise interacted with (e.g., buttons, text input fields, pop-ups, links, ads, etc.).

Alternatively, deceptive webpages can be entered via redirects (or redirection chains) resulting from misspelled URLs. Intrusive adverts and spam browser notifications promote online scams as well.

Adware can also display ads endorsing scams or force-open websites running them. Additionally, various types of spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, social media/ forum posts, etc.) are used in scam promotion.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

We highly recommend caution while browsing since fraudulent and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and harmless. Examples of this are intrusive ads and spam browser notifications, which may look innocuous yet redirect to unreliable and questionable sites (e.g., scam-promoting, gambling, pornography, etc.).

To avoid receiving undesirable browser notifications – do not permit suspicious webpages to deliver them (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.). Instead, ignore or deny notification requests from such pages (i.e., select "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

We advise against using websites offering pirated programs/media or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these pages are typically monetized via rogue advertising networks known for endorsing scam/malignant sites. Another recommendation is to pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully.

To prevent bundled/harmful software from infiltrating the system – download only from official/verified sources and treat installations with care (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, tools, etc.).

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

Text presented in "McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites" pop-up:

McAfee

Safety warning!

You might recently browsed to compromised websites
that are most likely infected with viruses

Therefore, your computer might curretly be under virus threat

Your PC recently browsed to compromised websites with illegal streaming
and/or adult content. This might lead to getting your computer infected by viruses.
To delete potential viruses, you must run an antivirus
scan immediately.

Run Quick Scan

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 read more.

Quick menu:

• What is "McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites" pop-up?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are deceptive messages aiming to trick users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be enticed/scared into calling fake support lines, making monetary transactions, disclosing private information, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, and so on.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are used to generate revenue. Cyber criminals profit predominantly by obtaining funds through deception, abusing or selling vulnerable data, promoting content, and spreading malware.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are run on rogue webpages, which are seldom accessed intentionally. Most visitors enter them via redirects caused by sites using rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, spam browser notifications, intrusive ads, or installed adware. Additionally, online scams are promoted by spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, social media posts, etc.).

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to detect and eliminate threats. It is capable of scanning visited webpages for deceptive and malicious content. Therefore, should you enter such a page – you will be warned immediately, and further access to the website will be denied.

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