Luckstarclub.com POP-UP Scam (Mac)

What is luckstarclub.com?

The luckstarclub.com website is used to promote a scam, a lottery whereby people can supposedly win various prizes if they answer questions correctly. Scams of this type are usually displayed on rogue/deceptive websites.

Generally, users do not visit these websites willingly - they are redirected to them by potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) or intrusive advertisements (generated by other untrustworthy web pages). Frequently, users install these unwanted apps inadvertently. Once installed, PUAs cause unwanted redirects, deliver intrusive ads, and collect data.

Scammers behind the luckstarclub.com scam offer prizes such as an iPhone XS Max, Amazon coupons (equivalent to 500 Euros), and a Samsung Galaxy S9+. They state that a winner is chosen each Monday and the only requirement is to answer three questions correctly. For example: "Who is the founder of Amazon?", and so on.

People are given five minutes to answer the questions. This is a scam. Answering the questions will not deliver any positive outcome. Scammers behind these fake surveys (scams) use certain websites to collect data such as IP addresses, geo-locations, and so on.

Avoid these sites - if you visit one accidentally, close it immediately. In some cases, these websites use scripts that prevent users from closing/quitting them. In these cases, use Activity Monitor and terminate the browser process, but do not restore the closed session, since this will reopen the same rogue site that caused the problem in the first place.

PUAs deliver intrusive ads that are displayed through tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site. They deploy coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and other similar ads. These are annoying/distracting, since they often conceal underlying content of any visited website.

Furthermore, clicking them often causes redirects to untrustworthy sites or even execution of scripts designed to download/install other unwanted apps (or malware). Information tracking is another downside of having PUAs installed.

They usually collect IP addresses, keystrokes, search queries, URLs of visited websites, and often personal/sensitive details. Furthermore, PUAs developers share the collected data with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. These actions can lead to privacy, browsing safety issues, or even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Luckstar.club 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.

There are countless PUAs and the number is growing daily. Most of these apps are virtually identical and promoted as 'useful' software. In fact, they provide none of the features, tools, or other functionality promised. Developers trick people into downloading them and then use the software to generate revenue by collecting data, delivering ads, and causing unwanted redirects.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Some potentially unwanted apps have official websites from which they can be downloaded, however, few these apps are installed in this way. Typically, users install them through clicked intrusive ads or when software developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling".

Bundled apps are installed together with other regular software. Generally, information about apps bundled into install/download set-ups is not properly disclosed - they are hidden in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar sections of the installation/download processes. Therefore, skipping setup steps and clicking intrusive ads leads to these inadvertent installations.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Use trustworthy and official sources to download software. Avoid using third party downloaders/installers and other such tools. Do not skip installation/download steps - check all available "Custom/Advanced" and other similar options. Decline offers to install unwanted apps and only then finish the installation/download process.

Avoid clicking intrusive ads, since some redirect to untrustworthy or malicious websites such as pornography, adult dating, gambling, etc. If you encounter these redirects or ads that redirect you to untrustworthy sites, check for new plug-ins, add-ons, and extensions installed on your browser or installed programs on your computer.

If present, remove unwanted entries immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshot of the pop-up message displayed when visiting yourmobile2018.com on a mobile device:

These pop-ups are commonly displayed on iPhones and iPads. To eliminate them, simply close the tab and clear your Safari browser cache. To do this:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down until you see Safari and tap on it.
3. Select Clear History and Website Data.

To enable pop-up blocking in iOS, follow these steps:

1. Launch Settings.
2. Tap Safari.
3. Under the "General" section, click the toggle next to "Block Pop-ups" to enable or disable the pop-up blocker. Make sure that the toggle is green.

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 Luckstar.club 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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