Avoid being scammed by Wenfuntoday

What is "Wenfuntoday"?

Wenfuntoday is a family of scam websites designed to promote untrustworthy applications. This variant endorses the Smart Mac Booster app, a rogue product classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Scam websites operate by employing various scare tactics to trick visitors into downloading/installing the software they advertise.

Essentially, Wenfuntoday displays alerts informing users that their MacOS (Mac Operating System) is infected. It offers Smart Mac Booster as an application capable of eliminating these threats. Note that no website can detect threats/issues on devices. Therefore any viruses/malware that these web pages claim to detect are fake.

Furthermore, software promoted on these sites is often bogus and nonoperational. Typically, sites such as Wenfuntoday are opened by PUAs already present on the system.

Wenfuntoday first displays a pop-up window. The message in this window informs users that a website they visited earlier in the day has infected their MacOS with a virus. They are urged to click "OK" to begin the repair process.

Closing the pop-up shows a different web page, which repeats the alert and states that a full system scan is required to find and delete harmful files/applications from the device. To further give the impression of legitimacy, it also lists the device details (brand, OS version, browser, IP address, internet provider, and location).

The "Scan Now" button starts a fake scan. This scan "detects" a virus called "Bankworm". It also provides the location of the "infected" file. The software suggested for removal of the virus is Advanced Mac Cleaner. When the "REMOVE VIRUS NOW" is clicked, however, users are redirected to the promotional site of Smart Mac Booster.

During the download process of this application, the maccleaner.pkg file is downloaded. The file is known to be used for PUA proliferation. There are dozens of fake apps similar to Smart Mac Booster including, for example, K9-MacOptimizer, Qbit Mac Optimizer, and Advanced Mac Booster.

This fake software typically requires activation (i.e. must be purchased to become active/operational). Despite any payments made, these applications remain nonoperational.

Unwanted apps share many similarities. They often seem legitimate and tempt users to install by offering a wide variety of "useful" features. These features rarely work as advertised and are usually nonfunctional. The only purpose of unwanted software/content is to generate revenue for the developers.

Regular users receive no value. PUAs can function as browser hijackers, control browsers, and promote fake search engines. Adware-type PUAs run intrusive advertisement campaigns. The ads they deliver (pop-ups, banners, surveys, etc.) significantly diminish the browsing experience and carry certain risks.

Unwanted applications also cause redirects to untrustworthy, deceptive and even malicious web pages. PUAs often have data tracking capabilities. They record browsing activity (browsing and search engine histories) and gather users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations, and other details).

This sensitive data is then shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) intent on misusing it for financial gain. To summarize, PUAs can cause browser and system infiltration/infections, and lead to serious privacy issues and even identity theft. To ensure device and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	Wenfuntoday pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	The error message states that system is infected/damaged and encourages users to download a system cleaning tool.
Detection Names (competition1617.wedfuntoday27[.]live)	G-Data (Phishing), Kaspersky (Malware), Sophos AV (Malicious), Fortinet (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.

Scam web pages are very common across the internet. Most have similar traits. For example, Fridaylifeis, Mondaysunday, and Mon-thu are all akin to Wenfuntoday.

Frequently, these sites promote fake software by warning users of viruses, malware, and other so-called threats and detected issues. Most visitors to these websites enter them inadvertently via redirects caused by intrusive ads or PUAs.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Some PUAs, including Smart Mac Booster, have "official" websites on which they are endorsed as "free" software. These rogue applications can also be downloaded/installed together with other programs. This deceptive marketing method of pre-packing ordinary software with unwanted content is called "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (ignoring terms, skipping steps, etc.) increases the risk of system infiltration and infection. Intrusive ads also spread PUAs. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to stealthily download/install them.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Research all content before downloading/installing. Use only trustworthy and verified download channels. P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.), unofficial and free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders, and similar sources are untrusted and should not be used. Treat download/Installation processes with caution.

Read the terms, explore all options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt-out of downloading/installing supplementary apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive ads usually seem legitimate and harmless, however, they often redirect to dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and others).

If you experience ads/redirects of this kind, check the system and remove all dubious 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 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 displayed by Wenfuntoday:

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

Screenshot of fake scan results provided by Wenfuntoday:

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 Wenfuntoday scam (GIF):

List of domains related to the Wenfuntoday family:

wedfuntoday104[.]live	wedfuntoday32[.]live	wedfuntoday8[.]live
wedfuntoday105[.]live	wedfuntoday34[.]live	wedfuntoday80[.]live
wedfuntoday113[.]live	wedfuntoday46[.]live	wedfuntoday83[.]live
wedfuntoday114[.]live	wedfuntoday5[.]live	wedfuntoday87[.]live
wedfuntoday116[.]live	wedfuntoday55[.]live	wedfuntoday90[.]live
wedfuntoday23[.]live	wedfuntoday60[.]live	wedfuntoday95[.]live
wedfuntoday26[.]live	wedfuntoday66[.]live	wedfuntoday96[.]live
wedfuntoday27[.]live	wedfuntoday71[.]live	wedfuntoday97[.]live

Smart Mac Booster installation setup:

Screenshot of Smart Mac Booster unwanted application distributed by Wenfuntoday pop-up scam:

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 Wenfuntoday 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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