MAC OS Is Infected With Viruses POP-UP Scam (Mac)

What is MAC OS Is Infected With Viruses?

"MAC OS Is Infected With Viruses" is a fake error message displayed by a malicious website. Users often visit this website inadvertently, since they are redirected by potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that infiltrate systems during installation of regular apps ("bundling" method).

As well as causing redirects, PUPs also deliver intrusive online advertisements and collect personal information.

"MAC OS Is Infected With Viruses" targets Mac OS users only. This pop-up states that the computer has been infected with high-risk malware and, therefore, personal information (logins/passwords, etc.) is at risk. It is also stated that the malware must be eliminated immediately. Despite this advice, "MAC OS X Is Infected With Viruses" provides no technical support contacts.

This is unusual for pop-ups of this type, since criminals often attempt to scare and trick victims into calling fake technical support number, and paying for services that are not required. There is a high probability that this pop-up is used to promote rogue applications that detect non-existent computer viruses (in other words, fake Antivirus software).

You can remove this error simply by closing the web browser. As mentioned above, potentially unwanted programs also deliver various intrusive ads.

To achieve this, developers employ a "virtual layer" (a tool that enables placement of third party graphical content on any site) and, therefore, displayed ads (pop-ups, coupons, banners, etc.) often conceal underlying content of visited websites, thereby significantly diminishing the web browsing experience.

In addition, they often redirect to malicious websites - clicking them is risky and can result in further computer infections. Be aware that Internet browsing activity is monitored, since PUPs often gather various data relating to browsing activity.

This information (for example, IP addresses, URLs visited, search queries, etc.) might contain personal details that PUP developers share with third parties (who misuse personal data to generate revenue). This behavior can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. For these reasons, potentially unwanted programs must be uninstalled immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	"MAC OS X Is Infected With Viruses" scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus
Fake Claim	The message states that system is infected/damaged and encourages user to contact fake tech support.
Cyber Criminals' Telephone Numbers	+1-877-353-1176, +1-888-670-0905
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious 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.

"MAC OS Is Infected With Viruses" is similar to Immediately Call Apple Support, Mac Detected TAPSNAKE Infection, Critical Security Warning!, and many others. All of these error messages claim that the system is damaged in some way, however, as with "MAC OS X Is Infected With Viruses", they are fake and should never be trusted.

Fake errors are designed only to generate revenue for the developers - the purpose of all PUPs is also identical.

By offering various 'useful features', these programs attempt to give the impression of legitimacy, however, rather than providing any value for regular users, they cause unwanted redirects, deliver intrusive advertisements (via the "Pay Per Click" advertising model), and collect personal data (which is later sold to third parties).

How did potentially unwanted programs install on my computer?

Potentially unwanted programs are usually distributed using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" - stealth installation of third party applications with regular software. Developers hide bundled programs within the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings of the download/installation processes.

Rushing and skipping this section often leads to inadvertent installation of potentially unwanted programs, thus posing risks to the system of further infections and compromising users' privacy.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Installation of PUPs can be prevented by taking two simple steps. First, carefully observe each download/installation step using the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings. Second, decline offers to download/install additional applications and cancel those already included.

Text presented within "MAC OS Is Infected With Viruses" pop-up:

WARNING! MAC OS X is infected with Viruses and other malicious applications. Viruses must be removed and system damage repaired. It is necessary to run the Virus removal procedure immediately, please proceed. ** If you leave this site your Mac OS X will remain damaged and vulnerable**

The appearance of MAC OS is infected with viruses tech support scam - tech support scammers are using 1-877-353-1176 phone number (this pop-up acts as a browser locker - to close this pop-up force quit Safari browser):

Another variant of "MAC OS Is Infected With Viruses" pop-up scam:

Another variant of "MAC OS Is Infected With Viruses" pop-up scam:

Instant automatic Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ 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 "MAC OS X Is Infected With Viruses" scam?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

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