Avoid scam sites such as apple.com-mac-optimization.xyz

What is apple.com-mac-optimization[.]xyz?

apple.com-mac-optimization[.]xyz is a deceptive website designed to trick people into downloading and installing a rogue application called Cleanup My Mac.

This software supposedly removes fake viruses that this scam website has detected. Note that apple.com-mac-optimization[.]xyz is not the only web page of this type - these sites, and apps advertised on, them cannot be trusted. Furthermore, people often visit these web pages unintentionally.

When opened, apple.com-mac-optimization[.]xyz displays a fake notification about a virus that this website has supposedly detected. The pop-up window states that this page has detected a trojan called "e.tre456_worm_osx", which should be removed from the operating system immediately.

The text in the background, however, indicates that apple.com-mac-optimization[.]xyz has detected more than one threat: two malware-type programs and one phishing/spyware-type program. To avoid further system damage, data loss, and/or having personal and banking details stolen, visitors are encouraged to scan their systems for viruses by clicking the "Scan Now" button.

When clicked, this starts a fake scanner that 'detects' high-risk viruses called Tapsnake, CronDNS, and Dubfishicv. Visitors supposedly remove these by clicking the "REMOVE VIRUSES NOW" button. When clicked, this downloads an installation file for the Cleanup My Mac application. Do not install this app or other apps promoted through deceptive websites.

As mentioned, most people arrive at these websites unintentionally. Typically, they are opened by potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) that are installed on the user's computer or web browser. In addition to unwanted redirects, PUAs gather information and display intrusive ads.

They collect details such as users' geolocations, addresses of visited websites, entered search queries, IP addresses, and other user-system information. People who create these apps often share the data with third parties who misuse it to generate revenue.

Furthermore, installed PUAs can feed users with unwanted ads. Typically, people who click ads displayed by PUAs are redirected to untrustworthy websites, or this allows the ads to run scripts that download (or even install) further unwanted, potentially malicious applications.

Threat Summary:

Name	apple.com-mac-optimization.xyz pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
Fake Claim	This scam page claims that it has detected a virus and encourages visitors to remove it immediately.
Promoted Unwanted Application	Cleanup My Mac
Detection Names	Forcepoint ThreatSeeker (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	94.237.56.155
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.

More examples of deceptive websites similar to apple.com-mac-optimization[.]xyz include apple.com-mac-optimizer[.]icu, apple.com-shield-guard[.]live, and apple.com-scan-mac[.]live. These pages often trick visitors into installing a dubious app that supposedly removes 'detected viruses'.

Scams such as these display fake virus notifications - never trust these scams or apps advertised on them. People unintentionally download and install PUAs, which are then responsible for redirects to websites of this type. Even if PUAs are advertised as useful and legitimate, they are often useless and designed only to generate revenue for the developers.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Unwanted downloads/installations take place when people click deceptive advertisements or software developers use the "bundling" method. They use this method to trick people into downloading and/or installing PUAs through the set-ups other, regular software. To trick them into these unwanted downloads/installations, developers hide information about additional software in "Custom", "Advanced", and other similar settings. Furthermore, many people fail to check these settings and leave them unchanged - in this way, agree by default to additional, unwanted downloads/installations. If clicked, deceptive ads can also cause unwanted downloads and installations, however, this only applies to ads that run specific scripts.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

To prevent unwanted downloads and installations, do not download software from untrustworthy, unofficial web pages, using third party downloaders, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients, eMule, and so on. The safest way to download is to use direct download links and official web pages.

Furthermore, if a download/installation setup contains "Custom", "Advanced", or other similar settings, check them carefully and decline offers to download or install PUAs. Do not click intrusive ads, especially when they are displayed on dubious sites. These ads can redirect to dubious, potentially malicious websites or cause unwanted downloads and installations.

If ads or unwanted redirects occur often, remove all suspicious and unwanted extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins that are installed on the browser and programs installed on the operating system - then check if the problem persists. 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 apple.com-mac-optimization[.]xyz pop-up window and background:

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
We have detected a trojan virus (e.tre456_worm_osx) on your Mac.
Press OK to begin the repair process.

 

Your system is infected with 3 viruses! Wednesday, September 4, 2019 10:47 AM

 

Your Mac is infected with 3 viruses. Our security check found traces of 2 malware and 1 phishing/spyware. System damage: 28.1% - Immediate removal required!

 

The immediate removal of the viruses is required to prevent further system damage, loss of Apps, Photos or other files.
Traces of 1 phishing/spyware were found on your Mac with MacOS 10.14 Mojave.

 

Personal and banking information is at risk.

 

To avoid more damage click on 'Scan Now' immediately. Our deep scan will provide help immediately!
4 minute and 31 seconds remaining before damage is permanent.

 

Scan Now

 Screenshot of the second page:

Text 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

Appearance of apple.com-mac-optimization[.]xyz scam (GIF):

Cleanup My Mac 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 apple.com-mac-optimization.xyz 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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