Samsung Internet home page: SPAM virus warning.

[thoots]

Folks,

When I go into the Samsung Internet app, the first thing I get is a spam message from this address:

www.legitimizes953rt.pw

It says that "my system is heavily damaged by four viruses. It warns that if I don't remove the virus now, it will cause severe damage to my phone," and I should install Applock or SoundCloud or some other apps. It seems to change from time to time.

I've just ignored it, and loaded Kaspersky anti-virus, which finds no such thing. As expected. However, I keep on getting this stupid page every time I launch the Samsung Internet app -- even though I have set my "home page" for the Quick Access view. So, how do I get the infernal browser to GO TO THE HOME PAGE, instead of this other page? I have a friend whose new S8+ does the same kind of thing, but a page for T-Mobile always comes up, even though she has some other page set up as her home page.

In both cases, we can go to the Samsung Internet "home page," and get what we have set up, but we both have this "some kind of other page" that comes up first. Is there simply some way to turn that off, and just have the browser go to the home page, like you'd expect it to?

Thanks for any sage advice you could send my way!

 

[B. Diddy]

The popup is a fake scare ad designed to get you to install something that's probably itself malicious. Try going to the App Manager, select Internet, then Storage, then Clear Cache/Clear Data. Be aware that this will probably erase your saved bookmarks.

 

[thoots]

Yep, the Clear Cache got rid of the "page before the home page" with the virus spam, and replaced it with a page with a Google search box. Do you have any idea about how to get the app to just go straight to the home page, instead of this "first page" that it goes to? I sure can't find anywhere or any way to change what that first page will be, either. Very strange!

And thanks again for all of your help -- very much appreciated!

 

[nasznjoka]

Yep, the Clear Cache got rid of the "page before the home page" with the virus spam, and replaced it with a page with a Google search box. Do you have any idea about how to get the app to just go straight to the home page, instead of this "first page" that it goes to? I sure can't find anywhere or any way to change what that first page will be, either. Very strange!

And thanks again for all of your help -- very much appreciated!

You just need to adjust that in settings on your browser

 

[thoots]

You just need to adjust that in settings on your browser

Well, that's the thing -- I don't SEE any settings other than choosing a home page, which I've chosen to be the "quick access" page. And indeed, if I tap the "home" button, I get the "quick access" page. But when I launch the browser, it doesn't GO to the "home page" -- it goes to this "start page," which, after clearing the cache and getting rid of the virus spam page, now goes to Google.

I don't see anywhere in the settings to tell the browser to "skip this first page and just go to the home page" when you launch the browser, and I don't see anywhere in the settings to tell the browser what URL to use for this initial page. There are just a few settings you can change, and if the dang browser would just go to the home page when you launch it, like every other Internet browser I've ever used does, it would be fine. But there is this infernal "first page" that you can't control that it goes to, instead of the home page. Very frustrating!

 

[thoots]

Oh, geez, I figured it out. The browser is designed to launch any tabs that were open when you closed it. Tap the "Tabs" icon at the bottom of the screen, "X" out of the Google page, then exit out of the app. Go back into the app, and it goes to the Home page you chose, like it should. I'm just not used to browsers that open up to any pages you had open when you exited out of them. Issue resolved. ;-)

 

[B. Diddy]

You got it! When you open a new tab, that should also bring up your selected homepage.

 

[Tristan Nguyen]

This does not work for me whatsoever, and I'm really worried

 

[filanto]

I run DNS66 and don't have many ads sneak by in any app

 

[Gayle Lynn]

Settings > Apps > Samsung Internet > Storage > Clear Cache

So, no way to launch in Safe Mode? but could boot phone in safe mode.

Advanced settings in Internet > Disable JavaScript does wonders for adware.

Adguard and 4 other extensions - they were enabled and not helping?
Adguard.com has to be side loaded but the program offers more system wide firewall VPN blocking.

Kaspersky and others can usually protect the home page from being changed. Usually.

 

[Tim1954]

Adguard is in all my phones and I never get any ads or pop ups.

 

[Loughlini]

Similar problem. I have a Samsung A3(2016). Several times per day I get a pop-up screen from a site called best-net.site/bcl which says I have 2 virusses. There is a large Google icon to make it look authentic. In desperation I clicked in their 'go here now' button and it took me to the Yahoo news page. I have Mcafee already installed and it didn't find any virusses. I installed Malwarebytes and it didn't pick up anything. I have cleared cache etc as per this thread but this false page keeps popping up and issuing me with a dire warning about imminent data destruction.
Has anyone seen this before? How can I get rid of it? Thanks, Ian

 

[Gayle Lynn]

Seen those? Yes I have. And, There's a new post on AC every day.
Fake. But generally annoying more than malicious. Ad$ware click bait.

And one of your benign apps updated itself, could also use an infected ad server.

Side-load http://adguard.com

Wiping cache partition, cache data of all your apps, go through with a fine toothcomb looking at what you have installed.

Wallpaper, flashlight, picture editor, lots of hidden stealth adware.