How to stop wholefreshstories.com from delivering notifications (ads)

What kind of page is wholefreshstories[.]com?

Our researchers found the wholefreshstories[.]com rogue webpage while reviewing untrustworthy sites. It is designed to push browser notification spam and redirect users to different (likely dubious/malicious) websites.

Most visitors to wholefreshstories[.]com and webpages akin to it access them through redirects generated by sites that employ rogue advertising networks.

Wholefreshstories[.]com overview

It is noteworthy that the content encountered on and via rogue websites might differ depending on the visitor's IP address (geolocation).

When we visited wholefreshstories[.]com, it presented us with deceptive instructions and a continuously loading progress bar that jumped between 98% and 99%. The page contained the following text – "Click the Allow button to subscribe to the push notifications and continue watching" – these instructions imply that to resume viewing online content, the visitor must enable wholefreshstories[.]com to display browser notifications.

After we pressed the "Allow" button on wholefreshstories[.]com, we were redirected to the promotional page of Your Errors Plug adware.

Rogue sites use their notifications to run intrusive advert campaigns. These advertisements primarily promote online scams, unreliable/harmful software, and potential malware.

To summarize, through pages like wholefreshstories[.]com – users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by wholefreshstories.com
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	ESET (Phishing), alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	172.64.203.13
Observed Domains	f.wholefreshstories[.]com; u.wholefreshstories[.]com; q.wholefreshstories[.]com; c.wholefreshstories[.]com; j.wholefreshstories[.]com; r.wholefreshstories[.]com; n.wholefreshstories[.]com; i.wholefreshstories[.]com; z.wholefreshstories[.]com; s.wholefreshstories[.]com; e.wholefreshstories[.]com; w.wholefreshstories[.]com; h.wholefreshstories[.]com; m.wholefreshstories[.]com; y.wholefreshstories[.]com; p.wholefreshstories[.]com; etc.
Symptoms	Seeing advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing. Intrusive pop-up ads. Decreased Internet browsing speed.
Distribution Methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, false claims within visited websites, potentially unwanted applications (adware)
Damage	Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional 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.

Browser notification spam in general

Floscercurn[.]com, gemheartartisan[.]top, santionrerm.co[.]in, and mycommonjournal.com are merely some examples of rogue webpages we have analyzed recently. These sites can vary drastically in appearance, yet their browser notifications endorse deceptive/malicious content.

Keep in mind that while genuine products or services may be encountered via these ads – they are unlikely to be promoted in this manner by any official parties. It is most probable that this endorsement is undertaken by scammers who abuse the content's affiliate programs in order to acquire illegitimate commissions.

How did wholefreshstories[.]com gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

Websites can only deliver browser notifications with user permission. Therefore, you have likely accessed wholefreshstories[.]com and clicked "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or a similar option presented on this webpage – thus permitting the advertisement delivery.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

To avoid receiving undesirable browser notifications – do not permit suspect webpages to deliver them (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.). We advise denying notification delivery from such pages (i.e., pressing "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). or ignoring these requests altogether.

Should your browser continuously force-open questionable sites without prompt, it could be due to adware installed on it or the system. If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshot of a notification (advertisement) displayed by the wholefreshstories[.]com website:

Appearance of the wholefreshstories[.]com website (GIF):

Video showing how to eliminate ads delivered by wholefreshstories[.]com using Combo Cleaner:

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 Ads by wholefreshstories.com?
• STEP 1. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome
• STEP 2. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android)
• STEP 3. Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox
• STEP 4. Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge
• STEP 5. Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS)

Disable unwanted browser notifications:

Video showing how to disable web browser notifications:

Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome:

Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". In the opened window select "Privacy and security", then click on "Site Settings" and choose "Notifications".

In the "Allowed to send notifications" list search for websites that you want to stop receiving notifications from. Click on the three dots icon near the website URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android):

Tap the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". Scroll down, tap on "Site settings" and then "Notifications".

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and tap on them one-by-one. Once the pop-up shows up, select either "Block" or "Remove" (if you tap "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen. Select "Settings" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications".

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and block them using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove Website" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove Website" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge:

Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window and select "Settings". Click on "Cookies and site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications".

Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS):

Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences...". Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane.

Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

How to avoid browser notification spam?

Internet users should be very skeptical when being asked to allow notifications. While this is a useful feature that allows you to receive timely news from websites you like, deceptive marketers frequently abuse it.

Only allow notifications from websites that you fully trust. For added security - use an anti-malware application with a real-time web browsing monitor to block shady websites that tries to trick you into allowing spam notifications. We recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why am I seeing ads (browser notifications) delivered by wholefreshstories[.]com in the right lower corner of my desktop?

All webpages require user consent to display browser notifications (advertisements). Hence, you have likely entered the wholefreshstories[.]com page and selected "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or a similar option.

I have clicked on notification ads, is my computer infected?

No, clicking on a browser notification will not initiate any malware download/installation process. However, these ads can promote content capable of causing serious problems (including system infections).

Is wholefreshstories[.]com a virus?

No, webpages like wholefreshstories[.]com are not classed as viruses. However, rogue sites can endorse virulent content, e.g., online scams, untrustworthy/dangerous software, and even malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove wholefreshstories[.]com ads automatically or manual steps are still required?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan computers and undo all the permissions granted to this webpage. Additionally, Combo Cleaner can block further access to wholefreshstories[.]com and other rogue/malicious websites. Therefore, extra steps will be unnecessary.

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