Don’t Download This Fake Chrome Extension

Over 200,000 people have installed this adware on Chrome disguising itself as a browser extension since 2019.

While this extension (Internet Download Manager) may install a real working download manager addon, there has also been evidence that it comes with unwanted behaviour including opening links to untrustworthy websites, changing your browser’s default search engine and sending pop-ups asking the user to download so called “patches” and more unwanted programs.

Real VS Fake, Don’t Make The Mistake

There is a real and safe Windows program that shares the name ‘Internet Download Manager’ which is published by Tonec. Tonec does offer extensions for Chrome and Firefox, however the legitimate Chrome extension is called ‘IDM Integration Module’. Tonec’s FAQ section even warns users that “all IDM extensions that can be found in Google Store are fake and should not be used.”

The illegitimate extension that is actually adware on the other hand, is found on a website called Puupnewsapp and this site claims that it can improve your download speed “up to 500%” and says that it is perfect for downloading games, movies and other large files in minutes. The download instructions are just as questionable, as they prompt the user to install multiple programs just to get one extension working.

The upside is that since it came out, there have been users that spotted it for the scam it is by giving it 1 star reviews and pointing out that it hijacks your browser and operates as malware.

This should serve as a cautionary tale, to be careful what extensions you download. Always do your research and look at the reviews and ratings, anything with a large portion of 1 and 2 star reviews should be avoided at all costs.