Remove 1-866-978-1337 Tech Support Scam (Removal Guide)

If you are randomly seeing pop-ups asking you to call the 1-866-978-1337 phone number to fix your PC, then your computer is infected with an adware or a potentially unwanted program.

The 1-866-978-1337 pop-ups are caused by an ad-supported extension for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome, which is distributed through various monetization platforms during installation. The malicious browser extensions is typically added when you install another free software (video recording/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation this adware program.
When an adware extension is installed on your computer, whenever you will open a new tab within Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome, an ad from 1-866-978-1337 will pop-up.
1-866-978-1337 is a malicious website which is used by cyber criminals to promote their remote support services. The 1-866-978-1337 bogus pop-up ad will state that you computer is infected and that you need to call their paid support service to remove the infection. This is a bogus claim, and an attempt to make you pay $199 for their “services”. The 1-866-978-1337 tech support scam pop-up will have the following alerts:

(1) Firewall Alert:
YOUR COMPUTER MAY HAVE ADWARE /SPYWARE VIRUS
Call immediately for assistance on how to remove the potential virus. Contact customer support at +1-866-978-1337 (Toll Free)
Possible networks damages if potential viruses are not removed immediately:
UNKNOWN

DATA EXPOSED TO POSSIBLE RISKS:
1. Your credit card details and banking information
2. Your e-mail passwords and other account passwords
3. Your Facebook, Skype, AIM, ICQ, and other chat logs
4. Your private photos, family photos and other sensitive files
5. Your webcam could be accessed remotely by stalkers with a VPN virus

MORE ABOUT THE VIRUS
Seeing these pop-ups means that you may have a virus installed on your computer which puts the security of your personal data at a serious risk. It’s strongly advised that you call the number above and get your computer inspected before you continue using your internet, especially for shopping.

COMPUTER SECURITY AT RISK!
Your computer still under attack. Dangerous programs were found to be running in the background. System crash and identity theft detected. Remove malware now and get real time intrusion protection?

Other common symptoms include:

• Advertising banners are injected with the web pages that you are visiting.
• Random web page text is turned into hyperlinks.
• Browser popups appear which recommend fake updates or other software.
• Other unwanted adware programs might get installed without the user’s knowledge.

You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this program that is causing the 1-866-978-1337 redirect. Be very careful what you agree to install.
Always opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don’t trust.

How to remove 1-866-978-1337 pop-up ads (Virus Removal Guide)

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove “1-866-978-1337” virus from your computer and any other adware program that may have been installed during the setup process.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, STOP and ask for our assistance.
STEP 1: Remove 1-866-978-1337 adware with AdwCleaner
STEP 2: Remove 1-866-978-1337 browser hijacker from Junkware Removal Tool
STEP 3: Remove 1-866-978-1337 pop-up virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
STEP 4: Double-check for the “1-866-978-1337” malware with HitmanPro
(Optional) STEP 5: Remove 1-866-978-1337 pop-up ads from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome

STEP 1: Remove 1-866-978-1337 adware with AdwCleaner

The AdwCleaner utility will scan your computer and web browser for the “1-866-978-1337” malicious files, browser extensions and registry keys, that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge.

1. You can download AdwCleaner utility from the below link.
   ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “AdwCleaner”)
2. Before starting AdwCleaner, close all open programs and internet browsers, then double-click on the AdwCleaner icon.
   
   If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run AdwCleaner, please allow it to run.
3. When the AdwCleaner program will open, click on the “Scan” button as shown below.
   
   AdwCleaner will now start to search for the “1-866-978-1337” malicious files that may be installed on your computer.
4. To remove the “1-866-978-1337” malicious files that were detected in the previous step, please click on the “Clean” button.
   
5. AdwCleaner will prompt you to save any open files or documents, as the program will need to reboot the computer. Please do so and then click on the OK button.
   

STEP 2: Remove 1-866-978-1337 browse hijacker Junkware Removal Tool

Junkware Removal Tool is a powerful utility, which will remove 1-866-978-1337 browser extensions from Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome, and will double-check for any other compromised Windows shortcuts.

1. You can download the Junkware Removal Tool utility from the below link:
   JUNKWARE REMOVAL TOOL DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download the Junkware Removal Tool utility on your computer)
2. Once Junkware Removal Tool has finished downloading, please double-click on the JRT.exe icon as seen below.
   
   If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run Junkware Removal Tool, please allow it to run.
3. Junkware Removal Tool will now start, and at the Command Prompt, you’ll need to press any key to perform a scan for the 1-866-978-1337 virus.
   
   Please be patient as this can take a while to complete (up to 10 minutes) depending on your system’s specifications.
4. When the scan Junkware Removal Tool will be completed, this utility will display a log with the malicious files and registry keys that were removed from your computer.
   

STEP 3: Remove 1-866-978-1337 pop-up virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free uses industry-leading technology to detect and remove all traces of malware, including worms, Trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware, and more.
It is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware works well and should run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.

1. You can download download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from the below link.
   MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free”)
2. Once downloaded, close all programs, then double-click on the icon on your desktop named “mbam-setup-consumer-2.00.xx” to start the installation of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
   
   You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
3. When the installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard which will guide you through the installation process.
   
   To install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on your machine, keep following the prompts by clicking the “Next” button.
   
4. Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program, and that a scan has never been run on your system. To start a system scan you can click on the “Fix Now” button.
   
   Alternatively, you can click on the “Scan” tab and select “Threat Scan“, then click on the “Scan Now” button.
   
5. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now check for updates, and if there are any, you will need to click on the “Update Now” button.
   
6. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for the 1-866-978-1337 virus. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is scanning it will look like the image below.
   
7. When the scan has completed, you will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the “Quarantine All” button, and then click on the “Apply Now” button.
   
   Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.
8. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. When removing the files, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot your computer, please allow it to do so.
   
   After your computer will restart, you should open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform another “Threat Scan” scan to verify that there are no remaining threats

STEP 4: Double-check for the “1-866-978-1337” malware infection with HitmanPro

HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti-virus software, firewalls, etc.). HitmanPro is designed to work alongside existing security programs without any conflicts. It scans the computer quickly (less than 5 minutes) and does not slow down the computer.

1. You can download HitmanPro from the below link:
   HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “HitmanPro”)
2. Double-click on the file named “HitmanPro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “HitmanPro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows). When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below.
   
   Click on the “Next” button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.
   
3. HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for 1-866-978-1337 malicious files.
   
4. When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the “Next” button, to remove 1-866-978-1337 virus.
   
5. Click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
   

(Optional) STEP 5: Remove 1-866-978-1337 pop-up ads from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome

If you are still experiencing issues with the 1-866-978-1337 pop-up ads in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, we will need to reset your browser to its default settings. This step needs to be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps.