Bankworm Virus POP-UP Scam (Mac)

What is Bankworm Virus?

"Bankworm Virus" is a fake error message displayed by various deceptive sites. Research shows that many visitors arrive at these sites inadvertently - they are redirected by potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) or intrusive ads delivered by other malicious sites.

In most cases, PUPs infiltrate the system without permission and, in addition to redirecting, deliver intrusive ads, record user-system information and, sometimes, even run unwanted background processes.

The malicious websites perform a fake system scan and state that the system is infected with the so-called Bankworm Virus. Users are then immediately encouraged to download a malware removal tool called Advanced Mac Cleaner, which will allow them to remove the detected malware. This is a scam.

The "detected" malware does not exist, but the promoted virus removal tool is also deceptive. After installing and running it, users are prompted with another system scan that will provide a list containing hundreds of "issues". The free version of Advanced Mac Cleaner is supposedly incapable of removing 'detected malware'.

Therefore, users are encouraged to purchase the 'full version'. Again, this is false. Advanced Mac Cleaner gives no real value for regular users. It will simply empty the false list and nothing more. Users will pay for nothing. Therefore, ignore the "Bankworm Virus" error and never download/install the Advanced Mac Cleaner app.

This error can be removed simply by closing the browser. Some malicious sites employ scripts that prevent users from closing browsing tabs/windows. In this case, terminate the browser via Task Manager or simply reboot the system. After re-running the browser, do not restore the previous session, otherwise you will return to the malicious sites.

Potentially unwanted programs often deliver coupon, banner, pop-up, and other similar advertisements. To achieve this, developers employ various tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site. Therefore, intrusive ads often conceal underlying content, thereby significantly diminishing the browsing experience.

Furthermore, some lead to malicious websites and even run scripts that stealthily download and install malware/PUPs. Therefore, even a single click can result in high-risk computer infections. Another important issue is data tracking. Research shows that potentially unwanted programs often gather various information relating to users' Internet browsing activity.

Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, website URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, URLs visited, and other collected data usually contains personal details that developers share with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). These people misuse private data to generate revenue.

Therefore, having data-tracking app(s) installed on your computer might lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. Potentially unwanted programs commonly mine cryptocurrencies or run other unwanted processes in the background.

These programs essentially misuse system resources without permission, thereby significantly reducing overall performance. For these reasons, you are strongly advised to uninstall all PUPs immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Bankworm Virus" virus
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.

"Bankworm Virus" shares many similarities with Virus Found, We Have Detected A Trojan Virus, PEGASUS SPYWARE ACTIVATED, and many other viruses. 

All claim that the system is infected, missing files, or damaged in other similar ways, however, most fake errors do not encourage download of software - they attempt to trick users into calling fake 'tech support' and paying for services that are not required. Potentially unwanted programs also share many similarities.

By offering "useful features", they attempt to give the impression of legitimacy, however, these claims are merely attempts to give the impression of legitimacy. All PUPs are designed to generate revenue for the developers. Rather than delivering any real value for regular users, these sites pose a direct threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety.

How did potentially unwanted programs install on my computer?

As mentioned above, PUPs typically infiltrate systems without permission, since developers promote them using the aforementioned intrusive advertisements and a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". Developers know that users often rush download/installation processes and skip steps.

Therefore, they hide PUPs within "Custom/Advanced" settings (or other sections) of the download/installation processes - they do not disclose this information properly. Therefore, rushing download/installation processes and clicking various advertisements often leads to inadvertent installation of rogue programs.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

To prevent infiltration by PUPs, be very cautious when browsing the Internet and, especially when downloading/installing software. Carefully analyze each step and opt-out of all additionally-included programs. Furthermore, software should be downloaded from official sources only, using direct download links.

Third party downloaders/installers are often monetized by promoting PUPs (the "bundling" method). Therefore, they should never be used. Note that intrusive ads often seem legitimate, but once clicked, redirect to gambling, adult dating, pornography, and other dubious sites. If you experience these redirects, immediately eliminate all dubious applications and browser plug-ins.

Text presented within this error:

DOWNLOAD REQUIRED
Please download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application to remove Bankworm from your Mac
VIRUS INFORMAION
Virus Bame: Bankworm
Risk: HIGH
Infected File: /os/apps/worm.icv
VIRUS REMOVAL
Application: Advanced Mac Cleaner
Rating: 9.9/10
Price: Free

Appearance of "Bankworm Virus" scam (GIF):

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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 "Bankworm Virus" virus?
• 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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