Avoid downloading untrustworthy software promoted by Fridaylifeis

What is "Fridaylifeis"?

Fridaylifeis is a family of scam web pages, designed to promote untrustworthy applications. This variant promotes the Smart Mac Booster app. By employing scare tactics, the site attempts to trick users into downloading/installing the software it endorses.

Fridaylifeis alerts visitors about a fake infection it has apparently detected on the Mac Operating System and urges them to install Smart Mac Booster, which will allegedly eliminate the issue. All threats detected by web pages of this kind are fake. No website is able to detect viruses, malware, etc. on devices.

Do not download or install any content from websites such as Fridaylifeis, since the endorsed apps are usually bogus and nonfunctional. Websites such as Fridaylifeis are commonly opened by Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) already present within the system.

Visitors to Fridaylifeis first see a pop-up window. The message sates that a recently visited website has infected the Mac with a virus, and to begin the repair process, visitors must click "OK". After the window is closed, Fridaylifeis displays a web page, which repeats the threat alert and informs users that a 'full system scan' is required to remove harmful applications/files.

To further give the impression of authenticity, it lists device details such as brand, OS version, browser, IP address, Internet provider, and location. When the "Scan Now" button is clicked, the site claims to perform a system scan, which results in "detection" of a virus called "Bankworm".

Fridaylifeis urges users to download the Advanced Mac Cleaner app, however, after clicking "Remove Virus Now", they are redirected to the Smart Mac Booster promotional web page. Attempts to download this application result in download of the maccleaner.pkg file. This file should never be installed, as it is known to distribute rogue, nonoperational software.

Additionally, it proliferates PUAs (Smart Mac Booster is also categorized as a PUA). There are dozens of similar apps promoted by websites like Fridaylifeis.

For example, K9-MacOptimizer, Qbit Mac Optimizer, Advanced Mac Booster, etc. These applications are commonly advertised as 'free software', however once installed, they usually require activation. Even if purchased, these PUAs often remain nonoperational.

PUAs all tend to be similar. They often seem legitimate and tempt users to install by offering various features. Despite how useful these offers may sound, the advertised features are rarely operational. The only purpose of unwanted apps is to generate revenue for the developers, whilst regular users receive no genuine value.

PUAs operate by generating redirects to sale-based, untrustworthy, compromised and even malicious web pages. Some hijack browsers and promote fake search engines. Others deliver intrusive ad campaigns (pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys, etc.). PUAs often have data tacking capabilities.

This particular type record browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) and collect users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations, and other details). This private data is then shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) seeking to misuse it for financial gain.

To summarize, PUAs can cause browser and system infiltration/infection, and lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss, and even identity theft. To ensure device and user safety, remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	Fridaylifeis pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	The error message states that malware has been detected and encourages users to immediately download a system cleaning tool.
Detection Names (fridaylifeis90[.]live)	G-Data (Phishing), Sophos AV (Malicious), Fortinet (Spam), Spamhaus (Spam), Full List (VirusTotal).
Serving IP Address	176.119.1.201
Related Domains	Full list below.
Promoted Unwanted Application	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. ▼ 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 thousands of scam websites online. Examples of webpages similar to Fridaylifeis include wedyoulife, securingchecknow, 0fficial.info, and and many others.

They promote certain products, typically using scare tactics. These sites show various fake alarms and alerts about viruses, malware, adware, and similar issues supposedly detected on the device. Few users access these pages intentionally - most enter them through redirects caused by PUAs or intrusive ads.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Certain PUAs have "official" websites from which they can be downloaded, however, they can also be installed together with other programs. The method of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (ignoring terms, skipping steps, etc) increases the risk of potential system infiltration and infections. Intrusive ads also proliferate PUAs. Once clicked, they can execute scripts designed to download/install PUAs without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Use official and verified download sources. Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders are classed as untrustworthy and should not be used. Treat download and installation processes with caution. Read download/install terms, explore all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, etc.

Intrusive advertisements often seem normal and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious websites (e.g. gambling, adult-dating, pornography, and others). If you encounter ads/redirects of this type, inspect the device and immediately remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins.

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 "Fridaylifeis" 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 "Fridaylifeis" second web page:

Text presented in this 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_13_6 device.
DEVICE INFORMATION
Brand: Apple
Device: Mac OS X 10_13_6
Browser: Safari 12.0.1
IP: 85.206.10.62
Provider: Telia Lietuva, AB
Location: - LT
Scan Now

Results of a fake system scan, provided by "Fridaylifeis":

Text presented in this 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

Appearance of "Fridaylifeis" scam (GIF):

Examples of URL addresses relating to the Fridaylifeis family:

fridaylifeis103[.]live	fridaylifeis22[.]live	fridaylifeis6[.]life
fridaylifeis104[.]life	fridaylifeis23[.]live	fridaylifeis60[.]life
fridaylifeis105[.]live	fridaylifeis25[.]live	fridaylifeis67[.]live
fridaylifeis107[.]live	fridaylifeis33[.]live	fridaylifeis75[.]live
fridaylifeis109[.]live	fridaylifeis35[.]live	fridaylifeis76[.]live
fridaylifeis113[.]live	fridaylifeis37[.]live	fridaylifeis86[.]life
fridaylifeis115[.]life	fridaylifeis39[.]live	fridaylifeis90[.]live
fridaylifeis120[.]life	fridaylifeis41[.]live	fridaylifeis91[.]live
fridaylifeis120[.]live	fridaylifeis50[.]live	fridaylifeis93[.]live
fridaylifeis16[.]life	fridaylifeis55[.]life	fridaylifeis96[.]live

Smart Mac Booster installation setup:

Smart Mac Booster 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 Fridaylifeis 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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