Jumpringpring.agency POP-UP Scam (Mac)
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is jumpringpring[.]agency?
jumpringpring[.]agency is a scam website that cyber criminals use to promote a potentially unwanted application (PUA) called Smart Mac Booster. The main purpose of this web page is to trick people into believing that their computers are infected with viruses that can be removed with the promoted app.
People do not generally visit websites such as jumpringpring[.]agency intentionally - they are redirected to them by other PUAs already installed on their browsers or operating systems.
This scam web page displays a pop-up window, a fake virus alert that informs people about viruses that this website has supposedly detected on their Mac computers. When this pop-up is closed, jumpringpring[.]agency encourages visitors to run a full system scan by clicking the "Scan Now" button.
For this web page to seem more convincing, scammers have designed it to show the visitor's device information such as OS and browser version, IP address, Internet service provider, and location.
If the "Scan Now" button is clicked, jumpringpring[.]agency starts a fake scan that, when finished, encourages people to download Advanced Mac Cleaner, since the site has apparently detected a virus called "Bankworm". The "REMOVE VIRUS NOW" button leads to another dubious web page that promotes another tool, the aforementioned Smart Mac Booster app.
Do not trust apps that are promoted on scam websites such as this. If a browser opens this or other similar sites, close them immediately and do not take the messages seriously.
PUAs that open pages such as jumpringpring[.]agency often deliver unwanted (intrusive) ads and collect browsing-related information. They feed users with coupons, banners, surveys, pop-up ads and so on. People who click them are usually redirected to dubious websites or cause downloads/installations of other unwanted apps.
Some deceptive ads run scripts designed to cause unwanted downloads/installations when they are clicked. PUAs often operate as information tracking tools - they record users' IP addresses, entered search queries, URLs of visited websites, geolocations, etc.
People who create these apps usually share the gathered information with other parties, potentially, cyber criminals. Third parties misuse the collected data to generate revenue. Therefore, all PUAs should be removed immediately, otherwise, they might lead to problems with browsing safety, online privacy, and so on.
Name | "Jumpringpring.agency" pop-up |
Threat Type | Fake error, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus |
Serving IP Address | 79.110.23.93 |
Fake Claim | The website delivers a fake error message claiming that the system is infected/damaged and encourages users to download a dubious system cleaner. |
Distributed Unwanted Apps | Smart Mac Booster |
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. |
There are many scam websites designed to to trick people into downloading and installing unwanted apps - Apple.com-shield[.]live, apple.com-monitor[.]live, and apple.com-mac-booster[.]live are just some examples. These sites are opened by PUAs which are all very similar.
Typically, these apps generate revenue for their developers and other parties by causing unwanted redirects and gathering user-system information. Furthermore, they are presented as legitimate apps, and yet deliver none of the promoted functions/features.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
People usually download and install PUAs inadvertently by clicking the intrusive advertisements or when software developers use the "bundling" method. Bundling is a deceptive marketing method that developers use to trick people into downloading/installing PUAs with other software.
They often succeed simply by hiding information about the inclusion of PUAs in "Custom", "Advanced" and other options/settings of software download or installation set-ups. Furthermore, many users often download and install software without checking the available settings.
By leaving the settings unchanged, they grant permission for PUAs to be downloaded and installed with other programs.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
Do not use third party software downloaders, torrents clients, eMule (and other Peer-to-Peer) networks, unofficial pages or other similar channels to download software. Download from official and trustworthy websites/sources.
Check all available options (such as "Custom", "Advanced", "Manual" etc.) of the download/installation setups and deselect offers to download or install unwanted software. Do not click intrusive ads, especially on dubious sites. These ads cause redirects to potentially malicious sites or download/install PUAs.
If unwanted ads or redirects occur regularly, check installed applications on the default browser. Uninstall all unwanted extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons immediately.
Additionally, check the list of installed programs 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 the jumpringpring[.]agency scam pop-up window:
VIRUS FOUND
A website you visited today has infected your Mac with a virus.
Press OK to begin the repair process.
Screenshot of the jumpringpring[.]agency site that encourages visitors to scan their systems:
Text presented on this web page:
VIRUS FOUND
A website you have visited today has infected your Mac with a virus. A full system scan is now required to find and remove harmful files or applications from your Mac OS X 10_14_3 device.
DEVICE INFORMATION
Brand: Apple
Device: Mac OS X 10_14_3
Browser: Safari 12.0.3
IP: -
Provider: -
Location: - LT
Scan Now
Screenshot of of the jumpringpring[.]agency web page that encourages users to download the Smart Mac Booster app by clicking the "REMOVE VIRUS NOW" button:
Text presented on this web page:
DOWNLOAD REQUIRED
Please download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application to remove Bankworm from your Mac.
VIRUS INFORMATION
Virus Name: Bankworm
Risk: HIGH
Infected File: /os/apps/worm.icv
VIRUS REMOVAL
Application: Advanced Mac Cleaner
Rating: 9.9/10
Price: Free
REMOVE VIRUS NOW
Website that promotes Smart Mac Booster:
Smart Mac Booster app:
Appearance of jumpringpring[.]agency scam (GIF):
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 "Jumpringpring.agency" pop-up?
- 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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