Apple.com-mac-booster.live POP-UP Scam (Mac)

What is "apple.com-mac-booster[.]live"?

apple.com-mac-booster[.]live is a deceptive website that is designed to promote the CleanupMy-Mac application. It is deceptive, since it displays a fake virus alert message stating that the visitor's computer is infected (this is false). It encourages visitors to remove viruses using the aforementioned application.

Typically, websites of this type are opened by potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) installed on browsers. As well as redirects to deceptive web pages, most PUAs deliver ads and gather data.

When visited, this page enables a pop-up window stating that immediate removal of a Trojan called "e.tre456_worm_osx" is required, and it encourages users to begin the 'repair process'. The website itself states that the Mac is infected with more than one virus.

According to this fake virus alert, it has detected two malware infections and one phishing/spyware infection that have already caused damage. It also states that the visitor's personal and banking information is at risk. To avoid problems, apple.com-mac-booster[.]live encourages people to scan their systems within five minutes.

After clicking the "Scan Now" button, this website starts a fake scanning process that, once finished, states that it has detected the "Tapsnake", "CronDNS" and "Dubfishicv" viruses, which can be removed by clicking the "REMOVE VIRUSES NOW" button. If clicked, the program then starts downloading the aforementioned CleanupMy-Mac app.

Do not trust this website or download/install or use apps that are promoted though deceptive websites such as this.

Typically, PUAs that open deceptive pages such as apple.com-mac-booster[.]live also deliver ads and gather data relating to users' browsing habits. They serve pop-up ads, coupons, banners, surveys, and other intrusive advertisements. These conceal underlying content of visited websites. Clicking them usually results in redirects to dubious websites.

In some cases, people who click them allow these ads to run scripts designed to download and install unwanted apps. Many PUAs collect/record IP addresses, URLs of visited websites, entered search queries, geolocations, and other similar information relating to users' browsing activities.

They also gather personal (sensitive) details. PUA developers share obtained information with other parties who misuse it to generate revenue.

Threat Summary:

Name	"apple.com-mac-booster.live" virus
Threat Type	Deceptive website, scam, phishing.
Additional Information	This website displays a fake error message claiming that the system is infected/damaged and encourages users to download a potentially unwanted application called CleanupMy-Mac.
Detection Names	Spamhaus (Phishing), Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	52.29.39.28
Sibling Domains	mail.com-mac-booster.live, mx.com-mac-booster.live, webdisk.com-mac-booster.live, webmail.com-mac-booster.live, www.com-mac-booster.live
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.

apple.com-mac-booster[.]live is virtually identical to other scam websites such as macos-online-security-check[.]com, apple.com-optimize[.]live, and apple.com-clear[.]live. These pages trick people into installing dubious apps by showing fake virus alert notifications.

These websites should not be trusted, and the apps promoted on them should not be downloaded or installed. The same applies to PUAs. These apps provide no real value, even if they are promoted as legitimate and useful. On the contrary, having them installed usually causes unwanted redirects, intrusive ads, and allows them to gather various information.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Unwanted apps can be downloaded and installed through other software or various intrusive and deceptive advertisements. Many software developers attempt to trick people into unwanted downloads/installations using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". They include PUAs in set-ups of other software and do not disclose the information.

They hide details of these additional PUAs  in "Custom", "Advanced" and other settings of software download or installation set-ups. Developers are aware that many users do not check/change the aforementioned settings, and thus often succeed in tricking people into causing unwanted downloads and installations.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download and install all software (especially freeware) with caution. Download from official and trustworthy websites, and using direct download links. Do not use third party downloaders/installers, torrent clients, eMule (or other Peer-to-Peer networks), unofficial/dubious pages to download software.

Handle installations and downloads properly and check "Advanced", "Custom", and other options/settings. Dismiss offers to download and install various PUAs. Furthermore, be careful with intrusive ads. Once clicked, they might cause redirects to dubious, untrustworthy websites or run scripts designed to download/install potentially malicious apps.

If unwanted ads and redirects are common problems, this might be caused by installed PUAs. Check your browser for unwanted, unknown extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins, and remove them. Also uninstall programs of this kind installed on the operating system.

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

Text presented in apple.com-mac-booster[.]live scam website pop-up window:

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

We have detected a trojan virus (e.tre456_worm_osx) on your Mac.

Press OK to begin the repair process.

Screenshot of fake scan results provided by the apple.com-mac-booster[.]live website:

Text presented in this page:

DOWNLOAD REQUIRED
Your Mac is heavily damaged! (33.2%)
Please download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application to remove 3 Viruses from your Mac.
VIRUS INFORMATION

Virus Name: Tapsnake; CronDNS; Dubfishicv
Risk: HIGH
Infected Files: /os/apps/hidden/os-component/X/snake.icv; /os/local/conf/keyboard/retype.icv...
REMOVE VIRUSES NOW
VIRUS REMOVAL

Application: Advanced Mac Cleaner
Rating: 9.9/10
Price: Free

Screenshot of the CleanupMy-Mac unwanted app:

Appearance of the apple.com-mac-booster[.]live scam website:

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 "apple.com-mac-booster.live" 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.

▼ Show Discussion