This article will help you remove Free-help-number.com fully. Follow the tech support scam removal instructions provided at the end of this article.
Free-help-number.com is a website which is connected to a tech support scam and hosts it on that Web address. The phone number +0-808-169-3101 is given for contacting the supposed support technicians. The scam is so deep that it tries to trick you into calling the supposed technicians, reachable on the phone line if you have any questions or issues with various services, especially anti-virus software.
Threat Summary
| Name | Free-help-number.com |
| Type | Tech Support Scam |
| Short Description | A tech support scam saying that you should call a phone number to fix services connected with anti-virus software or other programs. |
| Symptoms | Messages, pop-up boxes, and redirects could appear in your browser. Cybercriminals will try to trick you into calling a phone number, while maybe locking your computer screen. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installers, Suspicious Sites, Redirects, Spam Messages |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Free-help-number.com. |
Free-help-number.com Scam – Distribution
Different software could cause the +0-808-169-3101 number to appear in your browsers on a page claiming to be a Support line for various anti-virus software etc. Those websites usually come with third-party installations and freeware packages. These packages tend to have additive features selected for the installation process. To avoid installing any such features can be done if you find an Advanced or a Custom options menu.
Unfortunately, other ways can help the distribution of this tech support scam. From surfing the Internet and reaching new and unverified websites, to clicking on advertisements or redirects related to suspicious links are one of these ways. Another way is through the crooks spamming hyperlinks in forum posts of different sites. Freeware applications, regarded as PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) could also be helping in the spread of the scam in question.
Free-help-number.com Scam – Insight
Free-help-number.com is a website hosting a tech support scam. The scam mainly uses the +0-808-169-3101 phone line. Other phone numbers and websites involved with the scam exist. Cybercriminals who are behind the telephone can try to trick you into thinking that they are part of some tech support team, working for some service provider, related to the IT sphere. The website home page looks like this:
As you can see above, the site states that the telephone is the support line for many different service providers which should immediately give it away as a hoax. Strangely enough, it still works on people and they fall to the scam.
Below you can see a comment that is posted on our forum, trying to make users visit the site and call the phone number provided on the website:
The above comment states the following:
The combination of all the working units of Adobe has so nicely being united, that is the result of Adobe software functioning correctly. If the user still wants to communicate then just bank on Adobe Support Number UK. Professionals have a lot of expertise in ensuring the user will not have any difficulty in the operating of Adobe software. For more information to visit this website: https://www.free-help-number.com/adobe.php
In case you see any messages from that website or see the related phone number, know that your PC has been affected or you are about to fall victim to a scam. You could get bombarded with pop-ups, redirects and new windows opening on your browser to try and convince you that your computer device has issues. Clicking somewhere on the page could trigger a similar effect.
The con artists want to make you believe that you have to call the +0-808-169-3101 phone number, provided on the website. They also will lie to you that they are part of an customer service or a specific technical Support team or that you need to give out your telephone details for some reason. All of those statements are lies and you should know that all of those service providers will certainly NOT make one, unified web page for all of their clients or working together with their rivals/competition. Other than that, some of these services no longer exist or have other names by now.
The whole charade is made in a way to convince you into calling the provided number. On top of it all, at the bottom of the page there is a clear statement that claims for the site that is not associated with any of the listed companies. Also, whatever your security system is, do not uninstall, remove or tamper it in any way, as that may further help the cybercriminals behind the scam.
A screenshot depicting one specific sub-domain page of the K7 Antivirus Customer Support Service information on the website:
From the website you can see that there is “support” for the following services:
- McAfee Antivirus
- AVG
- Norton Antivirus
- Kaspersky Antivirus
- Avast Antivirus
- Bullguard
More services could have a subdomain page dedicated to them on the website, but hidden from the list provided above.
Do NOT try calling the phone number under any circumstances. It is not free as promoted on the website, and even the shortest call may be very costly. Not to mention that, while the con artists can present themselves as technicians, employees, or any other reputable partners of the companies listed above, they most certainly are NOT and will only try to elicit personal information and financial data about you. That information can be sold, and you could get into bigger problems, such as identity theft, your bank accounts getting emptied etc.
Free-help-number.com Scam – Privacy Policy
You can access the Privacy Policy page of the Free-help-number.com site by clicking on the footer link of its main and other pages. The Policy provides just enough clarity about the data collection done by this fraudulent website. Below, you can see exactly what information can be obtained from you when you are using any of the Free-help-number.com services.
Below you can see the Privacy Policy of the Free-help-number.com website:
The following information can be collected from you, according to the Policy:
- First Name
- Last Name
- E-mail address
- Phone number
- Postal Address
- Credit card or debit card data
- Time of purchase of services
- Technical information
- Other personally and non-personally identifying data
In addition, the website and services of Free-help-number.com can also collect other information from its users.
Cookies connected to the services of Free-help-number.com are also dropped by them to acquire more information related to your internet activity and habits. The Free-help-number.com service could collect even more data with which you could be identified.
In conclusion, you should be wary of what information you give out to website and the Internet in general. In case you do not like the idea of any information to be acquired about you by this scam or its services, you should consider removing it.
Remove Free-help-number.com Scam
To remove the Free-help-number.com tech support scam and its related files manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal instructions provided below. If the manual removal guide does not get rid of the scam and its redirects completely, you should search for and remove any leftover items with an advanced anti-malware tool. Software like that will keep your system secure in the future.
Tsetso Mihailov
Tsetso Mihailov is a tech-geek and loves everything that is tech-related, while observing the latest news surrounding technologies. He has worked in IT before, as a system administrator and a computer repair technician. Dealing with malware since his teens, he is determined to spread word about the latest threats revolving around computer security.
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How to Remove Free-help-number.com from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for Free-help-number.com with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall Free-help-number.com and related software from Windows
Uninstall Steps for Windows 11
Uninstall Steps for Windows 10 and Older Versions
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by Free-help-number.com on Your PC.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Free-help-number.com there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Video Removal Guide for Free-help-number.com (Windows).
Get rid of Free-help-number.com from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Free-help-number.com and remove related files and objects
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Free-help-number.com. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove Free-help-number.com via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Scan for and remove Free-help-number.com files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Free-help-number.com, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Video Removal Guide for Free-help-number.com (Mac)
Remove Free-help-number.com from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Erase Free-help-number.com from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Uninstall Free-help-number.com from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Remove Free-help-number.com from Safari
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Free-help-number.com will be removed.
Eliminate Free-help-number.com from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
Free-help-number.com-FAQ
What Is Free-help-number.com?
The Free-help-number.com threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What Are the Symptoms of Free-help-number.com?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your device can be rogue antivirus software, adware, browser hijackers, clickers, fake optimizers and any forms of PUPs.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like Free-help-number.com?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does Free-help-number.com Work?
Once installed, Free-help-number.com can collect data using trackers. This data is about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. It is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
Free-help-number.com can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is Free-help-number.com Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the Free-help-number.com Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Free-help-number.com how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on Free-help-number.com?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the Free-help-number.com threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.