GrouperConcept

Posted by Sarah Stewart on July 7, 2015

What is GrouperConcept?

GrouperConcept has been found to be a new member in the Multiplug adware family. This ad-supported program, like most other adware, has only one function: displaying third-party advertisements. These are most often pop-up and banner ads, which are not only very disruptive and annoying, but they can also put your system’s security and your privacy at risk. One click on a potentially corrupted ad and you might lose more than you expect. The presence of this adware app can also be a warning sign that there are other threats hiding on your computer, since these programs rarely come alone. Please read our full article in order to find out more and learn how you can remove GrouperConcept from your system. Download Removal Tool100% FREE spyware scan and
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Where does GrouperConcept come from?

GrouperConcept is based on the so-called JustPlugIt cross-browser platform, which has been used to create hundreds of similar ad-supported programs, including TheBestApp and RepliApp. Since GrouperConcept is just a fake application without any real function, you will not find an official website where you could download or install it from. The most probable method of distribution is via freeware bundles. Our researchers at Anti-Spyware-101.com have found that this adware is most commonly distributed in bundles created by the infamous third-party installer InstallRex.

Users usually download questionable and suspicious bundles from websites associated with online piracy. These sites are used to promote third-party installers via fake download buttons, ads, and links. It is easy to get confused on unfamiliar websites, and you may even accidentally click on the wrong button. That is the most likely way to get infected with GrouperConcept, too. But these bundles may contain a number of other malware applications. This adware is known to come with infections, including Websearch.searchfix.info and mystartsearch.com. These are both browser hijackers, which means that it is possible that your browser settings have already been changed, and you may be exposed to even more potentially harmful third-party contents. Therefore, we recommend deleting GrouperConcept and all additional infections that may be on your computer.

How does GrouperConcept work?

Once installed, GrouperConcept starts collecting and storing information about your browsing habits, including your browser history, ads you like to click on, products you are interested in, and your IP address. Although the developers always claim that this only serves as a way to improve their services and to be able to show you more relevant advertisements, you need to know that they never take responsibility for the content or reliability of the linked third-party websites. This makes these ads rather questionable because, virtually, you can never be sure that you will be redirected to a reliable website. What if cyber criminals embed corrupted links in an ad and you land on their malicious websites? You might get even more infections -- or worse. All in all, if you care about your virtual security, you cannot allow the slightest possibility of clicking on such ads. That is why you should not hesitate to remove GrouperConcept from your computer.

How do I remove GrouperConcept?

Apart from uninstalling this adware app via Control Panel, you need to manually delete the extensions from Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. The uninstaller should take care of Internet Explorer, so you do not need to worry about at least that one. Although this is not a difficult process, you may find our instructions below quite helpful if you are not so much a techie. But, once you are done, do not forget about the rest of the infections that may still be on board. Cleaning your operating system from these could be cumbersome even for an expert. Therefore, we advise you to install a reputable antimalware program that automatically identifies and eliminates all known threats to your computer.