Avoid downloading dubious software promoted by berrigroun.com

What is berrigroun[.]com?

berrigroun[.]com is deceptive site designed to promote scams. In this case, the promoted scheme claims that visitors' iPhones have been infected and damaged by two viruses. Scams of this type typically promote untrusted or malicious software, which are presented as tools capable of removing the fake threats.

No web page can detect viruses or other issues present on a device - any that make such claims are scams. Few users access websites such as berrigroun[.]com intentionally - most are redirected to them by intrusive advertisements or Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) already installed onto the system.

The scam run on berrigroun[.]com primarily targets iPhone users, however, the site might also be accessed on other Apple products. Once visitors enter berrigroun[.]com, they are presented with a pop-up window. The text within states that the visitor's system has been infected and heavily damaged by two viruses.

This nonexistent infection has supposedly caused 28.1% damage to the device. These viruses have allegedly originated from adult-themed websites, which the user has supposedly visited. It goes on to state that the user's browser has already suffered a significant amount of damage and the telephone's SIM card may be affected next.

Should these imaginary viruses corrupt the SIM card, the user risks losing contact lists, photos and other data. The scam warns visitors not to close the pop-up window and urges them to immediately address the issues. The scheme instructs users to click the button 'presented below' and download/install the recommended application.

This free app must supposedly be opened and run, to fix the browser and improve its speed. All of the information provided by berrigroun[.]com is false and the viruses the scam claims to be present on the visitors' iPhones are nonexistent.

These schemes often promote fake anti-virus tools and various other PUAs (adware, browser hijackers, etc.) and even malware (trojans, ransomware, etc.). Therefore, you are expressly advised against trusting or using berrigroun[.]com.

PUAs have other capabilities/features, as well as force-opening untrusted/malicious web pages. Adware-type unwanted applications run intrusive advertisement campaigns. To elaborate, they enable the placement of pop-ups, banners, surveys and other ads, typically, on any visited website.

These ads significantly diminish the browsing experience. When clicked, intrusive advertisements redirect to harmful sites and can stealthily download/install software. Another type of PUA, called a browser hijacker, modifies browsers by reassigning the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs to the address of a fake search engine.

Therefore, each new browser tab/window opened and each search query typed into the URL bar redirects to the promoted address. Rogue search engines are seldom capable of providing unique results, and so they redirect to Google, Yahoo, Bing and other legitimate sites.

Furthermore, browser hijackers can reset any changes that users make to their browsers and/or deny access to the settings outright. Furthermore, most PUAs can track data. They can monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and collect personal information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).

The gathered data is often shared with and/or sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) seeking to misuse it for profit. Therefore, the presence of unwanted apps on devices can lead to system infections, financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft.

To protect device and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	berrigroun.com pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	Scam claims that users' iPhones are infected.
Serving IP Address	64.227.11.5
Promoted Unwanted Application	Scam promotes various untrustworthy applications (e.g., Adblock Utility Pro).
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.

hastopnet.com, pushsix.xyz, goingapp.xyz and greacore.com are some examples of sites running scams targeted at iPhone users. The internet is rife with deceptive web pages, which use varied scam models and have different purposes.

Popular models include (but are not limited to) warnings that the device is infected or at risk, alerts that a crucial piece of software is outdated or missing, fake prize giveaways, "amazing" deals, and so on.

These schemes attempt to trick users into downloading/installing and/or purchasing PUAs or malware, calling fake technical support lines, revealing personal information (e.g. names, addresses, telephone numbers, emails, banking account or credit card details, etc.), making monetary transactions (e.g. paying bogus fees).

Regardless of what these scams claim, request or demand, the purpose is identical: to generate revenue for the scammers/cyber criminals behind them.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Some PUAs have "official" download web pages, which are often promoted by deceptive/scam sites. Another method used to distribute these apps is called "bundling". This deceptive marketing technique is pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions.

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, using pre-set options, etc.) increases the risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the system. Intrusive ads proliferate PUAs as well. When clicked, they can execute scripts to make rogue downloads/installations without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research all products before download/installation. All downloads should be performed only from official and verified sources. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders commonly offer dubious or bundled content, and are therefore untrusted download channels.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, functions, etc. Intrusive advertisements usually seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and others).

If you encounter ads/redirects of this kind, inspect the system and immediately remove all suspect applications and 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 berrigroun[.]com scam pop-up window:

berrigroun[.]com
Your system is heavily damaged by
Two viruses!

We detect that your Apple iPhone is
28.1% DAMAGED because of Two
harmful viruses from recent adult
sites. Soon it will damage your
phone's SIM card and will corrupt
your contacts, photos , etc.

If you do not remove the virus now , it
will cause severe damage to your
phone . Here's what you NEED to do
(step by step) :

Step 1: Tap the button and install App
for free!

Step 2: Open the App to speed up
and fix your browser now!

WARNING !

This Apple iPhone is infected with
viruses and your browser is seriously
damaged. You need to remove
viruses and make corrections
immediately.

 

It is necessary to remove and fix now.

 

Don't close this window.

 

** If you leave , you will be at risk **

OK

A French variant of berrigroun.com pop-up scam:

Screenshot of an application (Adblock Utility Pro) promoted via berrigroun.com website:

Screenshot of another scam displayed by berrigroun.com website:

To enable pop-up blocking, fraudulent website warnings, and remove web browsing data in mobile Apple devices, follow these steps:

First, go to "Settings", and then scroll down to find and tap "Safari".

Check if the "Block Pop-ups" and "Fraudulent Website Warning" toggles are enabled. If not, enable them immediately. Then, scroll down and tap "Advanced".

Tap "Website Data" and then "Remove All Website Data".

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 "berrigroun[.]com"?
• STEP 1. Remove PUA related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Potentially unwanted applications removal:

Remove potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select "Applications". In the applications folder, look for "MPlayerX","NicePlayer", or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove adware-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.

Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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