Prevent being scammed by Funnymonday websites

What is "Funnymonday"?

Funnymonday is a family of websites, which operate by endorsing untrustworthy applications. This variant promotes Smart Mac Booster, which is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Using scare tactics, Funnymonday urges people into downloading/installing the dubious software it advertises.

Visitors are alerted about fake threats/issues the site has supposedly detected and offers Smart Mac Booster as an app capable of eliminating these problems.

Note that no website can detect such issues. You are strongly advised against downloading/installing any applications that Funnymonday promotes - they are often bogus and nonfunctional. Web pages such as Funnymonday are generally opened by PUAs already present on the system.

Once accessed, Funnymonday displays a pop-window. The text presented in this window states that a website visited on this day has infected the Mac Operating System with a virus. Users are urged to click "OK" to begin the 'repair process'.

After this window is closed, Funnymonday shows a different web page, which urges visitors to perform a full system scan to find and remove harmful files/applications from their MacOS. To further give the impression of legitimacy, it lists the user's device details, such as brand, OS version, browser, IP address, internet provider, and location.

Clicking the "Scan Now" button initiates a fake scan, which results in the detection of a virus called "Bankworm". Funnymonday additionally provides the title of the allegedly infected file and suggests Advanced Mac Cleaner for its removal. Following this suggestion, it redirects users to the promotional website of Smart Mac Booster.

Attempts to download this app, result in download of the maccleaner.pkg file. This file is used to spread PUAs. There are many fake Mac cleaners and optimizers online, all of which bear many similarities to Smart Mac Booster. For example, K9-MacOptimizer, Qbit Mac Optimizer, and Qbit Mac Cleaner.

Commonly, this bogus software requires activation through a purchase. Despite any payments made, any software usually remains nonoperational and the capabilities/functions they advertise do not work.

In general, PUAs are all quite similar. They often seem legitimate and lure people to install by offering "useful" and "beneficial" functions/features. These features rarely work as advertised and are often nonoperational. The only purpose of this unwanted software/content is to generate revenue for the developers.

Regular users receive no value. Browser hijackers are applications that control browsers and promote fake search engines. Adware delivers intrusive ad campaigns (pop-ups, banners, surveys, coupons, etc.). These applications also cause rogue redirects to sale-based, untrustworthy, compromised, deceptive/scam, and even malicious sites.

Some PUAs have data tracking capabilities, which they employ to monitor users' browsing habits. By monitoring browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.), they collect personal information (IP addresses, geolocations, and other personal details).

This data is then shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) intent on misusing it for financial gain.

In summary, PUAs cause browser/system infiltration and infections, and can lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss, and even identity theft. To ensure device integrity and user safety, remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	Funnymonday pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	The fake error message claims that system is infected and encourages users to immediately download a system cleaning tool.
Detection Names	BitDefender (Malware), 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.

The Internet is rife with scam websites. Nearly all webpages of this type share certain traits. For example, Fridaylifeis, Wedyoulife, and Mon-thu are all similar to Funnymonday. They operate by promoting various products, typically using scare tactics.

They show alerts/alarms of 'detected viruses', malware, unwanted apps and other threats/issues. Most users access these sites via redirects generated by intrusive ads or PUAs.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Some PUAs have "official" download websites (e.g. Smart Mac Booster), however, they also proliferate through the download/install set-ups of other software. This false marketing tactic of pre-packing regular content with PUAs is called "bundling".

By rushing though download/installation processes (ignoring terms, skipping steps, etc.), many users endanger devices with potential infiltration and infections. Once clicked, intrusive ads can execute scripts to download/install unwanted applications, without users' consent.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Research software/content to verify its legitimacy, before downloading/installing. Use only official and verified download sources should. P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.), free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders and similar channels are untrustworthy and should not be used. Download/Installation processes should be approached with caution.

Read the terms, study all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and decline download/installation of additional apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive advertisements may seem legitimate and innocuous, however, they often redirect to dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.).

If you experience ads/redirects of this type, inspect the device and remove all suspect applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins without delay. 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 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 second web page of Funnymonday:

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_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 the fake scan performed by Funnymonday:

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

Appearance of "Funnymonday" scam (GIF):

List of domains relating to the Funnymonday scam family:

funnymonday101[.]live	funnymonday26[.]live	funnymonday66[.]live
funnymonday104[.]live	funnymonday4[.]live	funnymonday69[.]live
funnymonday11[.]live	funnymonday42[.]live	funnymonday7[.]live
funnymonday110[.]live	funnymonday48[.]live	funnymonday75[.]live
funnymonday111[.]live	funnymonday49[.]live	funnymonday78[.]live
funnymonday12[.]live	funnymonday50[.]live	funnymonday84[.]live
funnymonday120[.]live	funnymonday57[.]live	funnymonday88[.]live
funnymonday15[.]live	funnymonday58[.]live	funnymonday92[.]live
funnymonday22[.]live	funnymonday65[.]live	funnymonday95[.]live

Installation setup of Smart Mac Booster:

Screenshot of 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 Funnymonday 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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