Search.getmaps.co

Posted by Max Lehmann on April 1, 2016

What is Search.getmaps.co?

Search.getmaps.co is a questionable search engine that our malware researchers at anti-spyware-101.com have found identical to Search.searchlttrn.com, Search.yourpackagesnow.com, and Search.yourmapscenter.com. This search engine is quite a new clone as it has been active only since mid January, 2016. It seems to affect only the US region, but we cannot exclude the possibility that it shows up anywhere else. This search engine can hijack your home page and new tab page settings in the three major browsers, including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. It is also possible that this search engine slithers onto your system without your permission, which is, by the way, a breach of your privacy and should not be taken lightly. Unfortunately, if this search engine is on board, it is quite likely that you will find other malware infections as well. Therefore, we recommend that you remove Search.getmaps.co together with all other potentially harmful applications you may detect. test test test

Where does Search.getmaps.co come from?

It is possible that some computer users land on the official webpage, getmaps.co, and install this useless extension there. It is also available in the Chrome web store at this address: chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/get-maps/nfkmbmiinaklppcopmiolahadjjhjcdc. It seems that already over 30 thousand users have installed this tool through this store thinking that they will have a useful app. Let us tell you this, though: The web store is not a guarantee for the reliability of the extensions you can find there. Therefore, before you install any tool or software, we strongly recommend that you run a quick web search to find out what you are actually letting onto your computer. In this case, you will definitely find a number of articles and links on the first results page that tell you how or why you should remove Search.getmaps.co. That should give you an idea about the reliability and usefulness as well.

But according to our researchers, this search engine mostly spreads through illegitimate channels. We have noticed that certain adware applications can promote this tool through third-party pop-up ads. These adware programs include InteliTerm, TermTrident, among others. This means that your computer was most likely infected with adware previously. It is also a possibility that you visit a suspicious file-sharing websites, such as a torrent or freeware site, and click on a pop-up there. In any case, it is quite possible that there are more than one malware infections on your computer right now. That is why we suggest that you scan your computer with a reliable online malware scanner if you do not have one installed on your system. But before you do so, you should delete Search.getmaps.co.

How does Search.getmaps.co work?

This search engine page is quite unreliable; therefore, we do not recommend that you engage with any content it may present to you. It displays a fake toolbar at the top of the page that have a search tool and several quick links to third-party sites, including Google Maps, Mapquest, and Yahoo Maps. As a matter of fact, if you want to access these map sites, you can easily save them as bookmarks and have them at easy reach. In other words, why would you use a potentially unreliable extension when you can use the built-in functions of your browsers? Obviously, the main feature of this page is the search engine itself. Unfortunately, though, that cannot be trusted at all. All your queries get redirected to a Yahoo results page. However, do not be mislead by seeing a reputable page because this search engine may modify those results by injecting affiliated third parties’ ads and sponsored links among them. This way it is possible that you click on content that may take you to malicious websites. There are a number of easy-access thumbnail links below the search box as well. These include Facebook, eBay, Walmart, and other popular websites. However, clicking on these may only take you to a possibly altered Yahoo search page again. Therefore, we recommend that you remove Search.getmaps.co as soon as possible.

How to delete Search.getmaps.co

What else can go wrong about this search engine, you may wonder? Well, unfortunately, its uninstaller is also unreliable. If you locate this uninstaller and run it through Control Panel, it will leave the extensions in Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, so those you will have to take care of manually. Please follow our instructions below in order to clean all the mess up this useless PUP created. Also, remember to keep all your applications and drivers (Java and Flash) updated so that cyber criminals cannot exploit the security bugs easily. But, if you want decent protection for your PC, we advise you to use a professional malware removal program that can automatically detect and eliminate all existing malware infections.