Immediately Call Apple Support Scam (Mac)

What is Immediately Call Apple Support?

"Immediately Call Apple Support" is a fake error message displayed by a malicious exploit. This exploit is hosted on various websites, which are promoted via spam emails that encourage users to visit certain URLs. Following a visit one of these websites, an exploit runs new tasks until the computer freezes. A fake error message is then displayed.

There are two variants of this exploit. The first targets computers running the OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) operating system. This variant continually opens new email message windows via the default Mac mail application. Following the opening of a certain number of active windows, the system runs out of memory and, therefore, freezes.

The second targets computers running the OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) and OS X 10.12 (Sierra) operating systems. This  variant opens an iTunes application and repeatedly emulates the clicking of an iTune link, thus leading the Mac to a state of Denial of Service, which also results in a system freeze.

Once the system has stopped responding, the exploit displays a fake error message stating that the system is infected and that the user's private details (credit card information, email and other account passwords, etc.) are at risk. To remove the infection, victims must supposedly contact "Apple Customer Support" via a telephone number ("1-800-876-6855") provided.

Be aware, however, that this is a scam. There is no such infection . This error is merely an attempt to scare and trick victims into calling and paying for services that are not needed. You should ignore this error message and never open any of these sites again.

Threat Summary:

Name	Warning Virus Detected! Scam
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
Symptoms	Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites, loss of private information.
Malware Removal (Mac)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

"Immediately Call Apple Support" shares similarities with many other fake errors such as Mac Detected TAPSNAKE infection and MAC Malware Warning Alert ! All claim that the system is infected, missing files, or corrupted/damaged in other similar ways, however, as with "Immediately Call Apple Support", these errors are also attempts to scam victims. You should never trust these viruses.

How did Immediately Call Apple Support install on my computer?

Fake errors are often distributed with adware-type applications that offer various 'useful features'. Cyber criminals proliferate these apps using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" - stealth installation of third party software with regular applications. Developers know that users often rush the download/installation processes and skip most steps.

Therefore, bundled programs are concealed within the "Custom/Advanced" settings. By skipping this section, users expose their systems to risk of various infections and compromises their privacy. Fake errors might also be distributed via fake software updates, trojans, spam emails (malicious attachments), and third party software download sources (peer-to-peer networks, freeware download websites, etc.)

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

To prevent this situation, be cautious when downloading/installing software. Closely analyze each download/installation step using the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings. Furthermore, never accept offers to download/install additional applications and cancel those already included.

You should use a legitimate anti-virus/anti-spyware suite and keep your installed applications up-to-date. In addition, never open files received from suspicious emails or download any software from unofficial sources. The key to computer safety is caution.

Exploit displaying a fake error message via the default Mac mail app:

Warning Virus Detected! Immediately Call Apple Support +1-800-876-6855. Your credit card details and banking information.Your e-mail passwords and other account passwords.Your Facebook, Skype, AIM, ICQ and other. Call Apple Support +1-800-876-6855. Your private photos, family photos and other sensitive files.Your webcam could be accessed remotely by stalkers with a VPN virus.

Websites that host "Immediately Call Apple Support" exploits (never visit these sites):

safari-get(.)com; safari-get(.)net; safari-serverhost(.)com; safari-serverhost(.)net

To close new mail windows opened by the exploit, you can use "Force Quit Applications" (opened by pressing CTRL+ALT+ESC). Users must close Safari and Mail applications:

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▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Immediately Call Apple Support?
• STEP 1. Remove Immediately Call Apple Support related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove Immediately Call Apple Support ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove Immediately Call Apple Support adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove Immediately Call Apple Support ads from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Adware removal:

Remove Immediately Call Apple Support-related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select “Applications”. In the applications folder, look for “MPlayerX”,“NicePlayer”, or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove browser hijacker-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.

Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the browser hijackers, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove browser hijackers from Internet browsers

Remove Safari browser hijackers:

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.

Change your homepage:

In the "Preferences" window, select the "General" tab. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage field. You can also click the "Set to Current Page" button if you wish to set your homepage to the website you are currently visiting.

Change your default search engine:

In the "Preferences" window, select the "Search" tab. Here you will find a drop-down menu labeled "Search engine:" Simply select your preferred search engine from the drop-down list.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove Google Chrome browser hijackers:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable the malicious extension (if present), look for a browser hijacker URL below the "Open a specific or set of pages" option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select "Remove".

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for a browser hijacker URL, when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

Change your homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable malicious extension (if present), remove the browser hijacker URL and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and press Enter. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue".

In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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