What is Download Required scam? And how does it work?

Download Required scam, also known as Download Required (“Ransomware 2.0; Trojan.Win32.SendIP.15”) scam, is yet another fake alert that tries to convince users to download a suspicious computer program to fix the virus detected in the system. Like other scam alerts, this one is also displayed on sites with malicious domains and when you get redirect into one, you will see the following message on your screen:
“DOWNLOAD REQUIRED
Windows is heavily damaged! (33.2%)
Please download Advanced PC Fixer™ to remove (2) Viruses from your computer.
VIRUS INFORMATION
Virus Name: Ransomware 2.0; Trojan.Win32.SendIP.15
Risk: HIGH
Infected Files: /C:\WINDOWS\System32\migration\ADJF9009de.@*fg\windows.exe;/ C:\WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\spoclsv.ex
Download and Repair Windows Windows 10
Application: Advanced PC Fixer™
Rating: 9.9/10
Price: Free”
The instant you get redirected to the webpage that displaying the Download Required scam, you will see a long URL as well as a fake Microsoft webpage which is designed very well to make it look legitimate. Clearly, the main goal of the alert is to trick users into installing a program called “Advanced PC Fixer. This program is also referred to as a “hoax antivirus”, meaning to say it is nothing but a useless program that does not really work in eliminating viruses or malware. And when you try using this program, it will show alarming results that mostly indicates that there are tons of issues found on your computer. So if you happen to encounter the Download Required scam, you should know better than to download the suspicious program it promoted as it might cause harm to your computer.
How does Download Required scam circulate the web?
Just like other scam alerts, this one is displayed on malicious domains and you can redirect into one when you click on some ads you see online. However, if you keep seeing this alert more often than not, then an adware is most likely installed in your computer and is the one that’s been causing this fake alert to appear from time to time. Therefore, for you to completely remove the Download Required scam, you need to remove the ad-supported program behind it as well.
Using the removal guide given below, get rid of the Download Required scam as well as the adware program behind it from your computer.
Step 1: Close the tab or the browser where you see the Download Required scam. On the other hand, if your browser is forced to go into full-screen mode because of the fake alert, tap F11 in your keyboard to exit full-screen mode.
Step 2: After that, try to close the browser manually. If you find it hard to do so, close the browser through the Task Manager.
Step 3: Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to launch the Task Manager.
Step 4: After opening the Task Manager, go to the Processes tab and look for the affected browser’s process and end it by clicking End Task or End Process.
Step 5: Close the Task Manager and reset all the affected browsers to default.
Internet Explorer
⦁ Open Internet Explorer.
⦁ Tap Alt + T and select Internet options.
⦁ Click the General tab and then overwrite the URL under the homepage section.
⦁ Click OK to save the changes.
⦁ Now switch to the Advanced tab and click the Reset button.
⦁ Then check the box for “Delete personal settings” and then click Reset again.
Google Chrome
⦁ Launch Google Chrome, press Alt + F, move to More tools and click Extensions.
⦁ Look for any other unwanted add-ons, click the Recycle Bin button and choose Remove.
⦁ Restart Google Chrome, then tap Alt + F, and select Settings.
⦁ Navigate to the On Startup section at the bottom.
⦁ Click on Advanced.
⦁ After that, click the Reset button to reset Google Chrome.
Mozilla Firefox
⦁ Open the browser and tap Ctrl + Shift + A to access the Add-ons Manager.
⦁ In the Extensions menu Remove the unwanted extension.
⦁ Restart the browser and tap keys Alt + T.
⦁ Select Options and then move to the General menu.
⦁ Overwrite the URL in the Home Page section.
⦁ Tap Alt + H to access Help.
⦁ Next, select “Troubleshooting information” and click “Refresh Firefox” at the top of the page.
⦁ Now click “Refresh Firefox” again to confirm the reset.
Step 6: Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and then type in appwiz.cpl to open Control Panel to uninstall the adware program behind the fake alert.
Step 7: Look for the adware program or any unfamiliar program under the list of installed programs and once you’ve found it, uninstall it.
Step 8: Close the Control Panel and tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
Step 9: Navigate to the following directories and look for the adware installer like the software bundle it came with as well as other suspicious files and delete them.
⦁ %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
⦁ %USERPROFILE%\Desktop
⦁ %TEMP%
Step 10: Close the File Explorer and empty your Recycle Bin.
To make sure Download Required scam is completely removed as well as the adware program behind it, you need to use an efficient program like [product-name]. To use it, follow the advanced steps below:
Perform a full system scan using [product-code]. To do so, follow these steps:
⦁ Turn on your computer. If it’s already on, you have to reboot it.
⦁ After that, the BIOS screen will be displayed, but if Windows pops up instead, reboot your computer and try again. Once you’re on the BIOS screen, repeat pressing F8, by doing so the Advanced Option shows up.
⦁ To navigate the Advanced Option use the arrow keys and select Safe Mode with Networking then hit Enter.
⦁ Windows will now load the Safe Mode with Networking.
⦁ Press and hold both R key and Windows key.
⦁ If done correctly, the Windows Run Box will show up.
⦁ Type in the URL address, [product-url] in the Run dialog box and then tap Enter or click OK.
⦁ After that, it will download the program. Wait for the download to finish and then open the launcher to install the program.
⦁ Once the installation process is completed, run [product-code] to perform a full system scan.
⦁ After the scan is completed click the “Fix, Clean & Optimize Now” button.