“1 Year Free Premium NordVPN” Scam

The “1 Year Free Premium NordVPN” lure is a social engineering phishing scam masquerading as a cybersecurity survey that rewards users with a free VPN subscription. In reality, it hijacks your Run command and executes malicious scripts to install malware—often trojans, ransomware, or cryptominers. This threat is not associated with legitimate NordVPN services.

---

Threat Overview & Table

Aspect	Details
Threat type	Phishing / Scam / Social Engineering
Associated domain	nord.digitalexposure[.]icu
Detection names	alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Forcepoint ThreatSeeker (Suspicious)
Symptoms	No visible symptoms; stealth installation via scripted Run command
Damage / Distribution	Malware installation (trojans, ransomware, cryptominers); data theft; identity fraud; botnet recruitment. Delivered via compromised sites, ads, rogue apps
Danger level	High – enables serious malware penetration
Removal tool	SpyHunter (Download Here)

---

In-depth Analysis

How You Get Infected

Victims land on a page disguised as a NordVPN offer after interacting with an ad or social media link. The site presents a survey, then claims your digital risk score qualifies you for a free VPN. Clicking “SET UP PROTECTION” leads to a bogus Cloudflare CAPTCHA, which directs you to open the Windows Run dialog and paste a malicious command—instantly downloading malware.

What It Does

The script quietly downloads and executes malware—trojans can steal data, ransomware encrypts files, and cryptominers drain resources. Other malicious payloads could include PUAs, browser hijackers, or fake antivirus. Victims are unaware until it’s too late.

Should You Be Worried?

Absolutely. There’s no benefit—only risk. You receive no VPN service, only an infection vector. Exposure could lead to financial loss, data theft, identity fraud, performance degradation, and long-term security blindness.

---

Scam Message Section

(Modified for clarity and authenticity)

“Press & hold the Windows Key + R, then press CTRL + V and hit Enter.”
This fake “setup” instruction executes a hidden script that immediately downloads malicious software.

Manual Adware Removal (Windows & Mac)

Step 1: Identify Suspicious Applications

For Windows Users

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
2. Check the “Processes” tab for unfamiliar or suspicious programs consuming excessive CPU or memory.
3. If you find any, note their names and close them.
4. Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
5. Locate the suspicious application, right-click it, and select “Uninstall.”

For Mac Users

1. Open Finder and navigate to Applications.
2. Look for any suspicious or unknown applications.
3. Drag them to the Trash, then right-click on the Trash and select Empty Trash.
4. Open System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items and remove any unrecognized startup programs.

Step 2: Remove Adware-Related Browser Extensions

Google Chrome

1. Open Chrome and go to Menu (three dots in the top-right corner) > Extensions.
2. Locate suspicious extensions and click “Remove.”
3. Reset Chrome: Go to Settings > Reset settings > “Restore settings to their original defaults.”

Mozilla Firefox

1. Open Firefox and go to Menu (three lines in the top-right corner) > Add-ons and themes.
2. Locate and remove suspicious extensions.
3. Reset Firefox: Go to Help > More troubleshooting information > “Refresh Firefox.”

Safari (Mac)

1. Open Safari and go to Preferences > Extensions.
2. Locate and remove any unknown extensions.
3. Reset Safari: Go to History > “Clear History.”

Microsoft Edge

1. Open Edge and go to Menu (three dots in the top-right corner) > Extensions.
2. Remove suspicious extensions.
3. Reset Edge: Go to Settings > Reset settings > “Restore settings to their default values.”

Step 3: Delete Adware-Related Files and Folders

For Windows Users

1. Press Win + R, type %AppData%, and press Enter.
2. Look for suspicious folders and delete them.
3. Repeat for %LocalAppData%, %ProgramData%, and %Temp%.

For Mac Users

1. Open Finder, press Shift + Command + G, and enter ~/Library/Application Support/.
2. Locate and delete suspicious folders.
3. Repeat for ~/Library/LaunchAgents/, ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/, and ~/Library/Preferences/.

Step 4: Flush DNS Cache (Recommended)

For Windows Users

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.

For Mac Users

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder and press Enter.

Step 5: Restart Your Computer

Restart your device to complete the manual removal process.

---

Automatic Adware Removal Using SpyHunter (Windows & Mac)

For a hassle-free and effective removal, use SpyHunter, a robust anti-malware tool designed to detect and remove adware efficiently.

Step 1: Download SpyHunter

Download SpyHunter from the official website: Click here to download SpyHunter.

Step 2: Install SpyHunter

Follow the installation instructions based on your operating system:

For Windows Users:

1. Open the downloaded .exe file.
2. Follow the on-screen installation instructions.
3. Launch SpyHunter and allow it to update its malware definitions.

For Mac Users:

1. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
2. Drag and drop SpyHunter into the Applications folder.
3. Launch SpyHunter and allow it to update its malware definitions.

Step 3: Perform a System Scan

1. Open SpyHunter.
2. Click on Start Scan.
3. Wait for the scan to complete.
4. Review the detected threats and click Fix Threats to remove adware.

Step 4: Restart Your Device

After SpyHunter removes the threats, restart your computer to finalize the process.

---

For the most secure and effective removal, we recommend downloading and using SpyHunter: Download SpyHunter Here.

Stay safe and keep your system clean!

---

Conclusion

The “1 Year Free Premium NordVPN” scam is a textbook ClickFix phishing attack. It baits users with legitimate-sounding promises and uses social engineering to install malware through desktop script execution. Always be skeptical of "free" VPN offers, especially those requiring unusual system commands. When in doubt, use official sources. If you suspect infection, immediately scan with SpyHunter to eliminate threats.