Hipstarclub.com POP-UP Scam (Mac)

What is "hipstarclub.com"?

Developers of the hipstarclub.com website promote a scam used to trick people into believing that they can win a $1000 Amazon gift card if they agree to participate in a survey. Typically, these scams are promoted through deceptive, untrustworthy websites that users visit unintentionally - potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) redirect them.

Intrusive advertisements might also cause these redirects. PUAs infiltrate systems without direct user permission and are installed in a stealthy way. Most cause redirects, feed users with intrusive ads, and record browsing-related and other data.

The hipstarclub.com deceptive website states that Amazon is celebrating its 22nd year in business and offering the chance to win a gift card equivalent to $1000. People must simply complete a survey of four questions. This is presented as a 'feedback form' used to improve the customer experience.

This is a scam and Amazon has nothing to do with it. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you ignore it. Generally, scammers use these fake surveys (or other forms) to collect data such as IP addresses, geo-locations, and other data. Completing them will not give any positive outcome or prizes (such as the $1000 Amazon gift card).

Avoid these websites - close the browser window or tab. It is possible that hipstarclub.com will use a script to prevent you from closing it. In this case, use Activity Monitor and force-quit the entire browser. Do not restore the previously-closed browsing session, since this will reopen the same website. Avoid visiting these websites in future.

Potentially unwanted applications cause redirects to deceptive websites such as hipstarclub.com, deliver intrusive ads, and collect data. They feed users with coupons, surveys, pop-ups, banners, and so on. These are usually displayed using tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site.

They diminish the browsing experience by concealing underlying content of any visited website. Furthermore, if clicked, these ads often redirect users to other untrustworthy websites or execute scripts designed to download/install unwanted applications or potentially malicious programs.

PUAs record browsing-related data such as IP addresses, keystrokes, search queries, URLs of visited websites, and so on. They also record personal details. Developers share the collected data with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. Thus, having these apps installed can lead to privacy, browsing safety problems, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Hipstarclub.com 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 many unwanted apps of this type on the internet, most of which are very similar. Developers promote them as 'useful apps', however, these are simply attempts to trick people into downloading and installing them. Following infiltration, PUAs perform actions used to generate revenue and deliver none of the functionality promised.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Some potentially unwanted apps can be downloaded from official websites, however, users mostly install them unintentionally. There are two common ways used to trick users into installing them: through intrusive ads or using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling".

Bundling is used to trick people into installing PUAs by not disclosing information about their presence in download/installation set-ups and hiding them in "Custom", "Advanced", and other similar settings. These inadvertent installations/downloads usually happen when users skip download/installation steps without checking the optional settings.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Software should be downloaded from official and trustworthy sources, and using direct links. Do not use third party downloaders/installers, torrents, or other similar channels. Never skip installation (or download) steps without checking "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings.

Deselect offers to install unwanted/unknown applications and only then finish the download or installation procedure. Intrusive advertisements may seem legitimate, but they often redirect to untrustworthy websites such as adult dating, gambling, pornography, and so on.

These advertisements are commonly delivered by adware-type apps. If you continually encounter redirects to untrustworthy websites, check your browser for any unwanted, suspicious, or unwanted applications (extensions, plug-ins, add-ons) and uninstall them immediately.

Also check the list of installed programs on your computer. 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 a pop-up message when visiting hipstarclub.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 Hipstarclub.com 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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