Prevent downloads from the Get rid of Junk Files scam website

What is "Get rid of Junk Files"?

"Get rid of Junk Files" is a phrase used within a scam website. Like most web pages of this type, it advertises a potentially unwanted application (PUA). In this case, scammers use it to promote a PUA named Cleanup My Mac. Do not trust this or other scam sites.

The same applies to applications that are advertised through them. If your browser opens scam websites such as "Get rid of Junk Files" often, it is likely that there is a PUA installed on the browser or operating system.

The pop-up window displayed on this scam page states that there might be many junk files on visitor's system. To free up disk space and improve system performance, it recommends that they are removed with the MacCleaner application. At time of research, however, this website downloaded an installation file of the aforementioned Cleanup My Mac app.

Therefore, this deceptive website might be used to advertise more than one unwanted application. In any case, no apps promoted through websites of this kind should be trusted. It is possible that scam pages might also be used to distribute malicious programs.

The safest way to download software is to use official websites. Ignore the offer to download Cleanup My Mac and other PUAs, and avoid these websites in future. If the browser opens this site (or other similar sites), it might already be infiltrated by an unwanted application.

PUAs force users to visit deceptive, dubious websites, feed them with intrusive ads, and gather various details. Typically, they display unwanted ads in the form of coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and so on. These can be annoying and, when clicked, open dubious websites or even run scripts that download/install potentially malicious apps.

Furthermore, most PUAs gather information such as IP addresses, geolocations, entered search queries, URLs of opened websites, and so on. In some cases, they also target personal, private details. Developers share the data with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue.

Threat Summary:

Name	Get rid of junk files pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
Fake Claim	This deceptive website claims that computers can run faster after cleaning them with specific software.
Promoted Unwanted Application	Cleanup My Mac
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.

Generally, web pages such as "Get rid of Junk Files" trick people into downloading and installing unwanted software. The software is usually presented as legitimate, however, none of the websites (or apps promoted through them) can be trusted.

Other examples include "Tiptoptrack", "You Have Been Redirected To Apple Support Page", and "We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups on Your Mac". PUAs that lead to these sites cannot be trusted and should be removed immediately, since they might cause problems with privacy, browsing safety, or even lead to identity theft.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Generally, unwanted apps are installed when people click intrusive ads or install/download programs without checking the set-ups. Developers often use the "bundling" method to trick people into downloading or installing unwanted apps with other regular software.

They hide information about bundled/additionally-included apps in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar parts of software download/installation set-ups. Furthermore, many users download/install software in a hurry and leave all settings unchanged or even unchecked. In this way, PUAs receive permission to be dowloaded and installed through various set-ups.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download all programs from official, trustworthy websites (and use direct download links). Third party software downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients, eMule, unofficial websites and other such tools/sources are often rogue. Check each available option ("Custom", "Advanced") of each download or installation setup.

Dismiss offers to download or install unwanted apps. Do not click intrusive ads, since they either redirect to untrustworthy websites or trigger download/installation of various PUAs. These ads are often displayed on web pages relating to pornography, gambling, adult dating, etc.

If unwanted redirects happen or intrusive ads appear regularly, check for unwanted or suspicious plug-ins, extensions and add-ons installed on the browser and remove them immediately. Also apply this to programs of this type installed on the computer/operating system.

All unwanted entries should be uninstalled immediately. 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 "Get rid of Junk Files" scam:

Get rid of Junk Files.

There might be lots of junk files hogging on your hard drive.

We recommend to remove such files to keep your system running fast and free up some disk space.

How to clean your Mac:

Step 1: Click OK to learn more.

Step 2: Download MacCleaner and remove junk files.

OK
Click here to learn more

Screenshot of the Cleanup My Mac installer:

Cleanup My Mac unwanted application:

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 Get rid of junk files 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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