Avoid being scammed by the 24-support-global.expert website

What is the 24-support-global[.]expert website?

24-support-global[.]expert is a deceptive web page that promotes various scams. At the time of research, this site was observed promoting several versions of the "Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged" scam and one stating that users need to download a VPN application to continue watching content online.

This type of scheme promotes nonoperational and untrusted software. The most common kinds are potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) such as fake anti-virus programs, adware, browser hijackers, etc. These scams might also promote malware such as Trojans, ransomware, etc.

No website can actually detect threats/issues present on visitors' devices. Note that 24-support-global[.]expert and other scam sites are typically accessed via mistyped URLs, redirects caused by intrusive advertisements, and PUAs.

The "Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged" scams claim that users' iPhones have been infected and this requires their immediate attention. The scheme lists the number of fake viruses, which have been "detected" on the device. It might also indicate the type of nonexistent viruses (e.g. browser Trojans) and from where they originated (e.g. compromised sites).

Additionally, the scams can list some supposedly endangered accounts/content (e.g. photos stored on the device, private applications, Facebook accounts, Whatsapp message logs, etc.) to reinforce the impression of urgency. The schemes urge users to download/install and/or purchase an application, which will supposedly be able to remove the bogus infection.

As well as versions of "Your Apple iPhone is seriously damaged", 24-support-global[.]expert also promotes another scam that asks users to download/install a free VPN app to continue safely watching online content.

You are strongly advised against trusting the scams promoted on 24-support-global[.]expert, since doing so can result in genuine system infections, serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. PUAs are often promoted through deceptive/scam sites.

These rogue applications may seem legitimate (and are even disguised under the names/appearances of existing genuine products) and offer a wide variety of "useful" functionality, however, the promoted functions are rarely operational. Fake anti-virus tools are a prime example of these PUAs.

They require activation (i.e. purchase) to perform the advertised features, yet following activation, the apps remain nonoperational. Furthermore, this unwanted software typically has undisclosed, dangerous capabilities. Some PUAs can force-open untrusted, deceptive and even malicious websites (including 24-support-global[.]expert).

Adware-types deliver various pop-ups, banners, coupons and other intrusive advertisements. These diminish the browsing experience and once clicked, can redirect to dangerous web pages. Some can even stealthily download/install software.

Browser hijackers are other PUAs, which modify browser settings and restrict/deny access to the browser settings to promote fake search engines. The promoted web search engines are rarely able to provide search results, and so they redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) Yahoo, Google, Bing and other legitimate search engines.

Furthermore, most PUAs can track data. They monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and collect personal information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). In summary, the presence of these unwanted apps on devices endanger their integrity and user safety.

Therefore, you are strongly advised to eliminate all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	24-support-global.expert pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	Scams either claim that users' devices are infected and/or imply VPN software is missing/outdated.
Detection Names	Fortinet (Spam), Spamhaus (Spam), Full List (VirusTotal).
Promoted Unwanted Application	Various dubious apps.
Serving IP Address	116.202.171.47
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.

Oc-protection.com, appleconnect.safellk.com, securitymobile.club, and security-update-required.com are some examples of other sites similar to 24-support-global[.]expert running iPhone/Apple device-centered scams. The internet is rife with various deceptive websites and they use different tactics to trick users into trusting them.

Due to the prevalence of these sites, you are strongly advised to exercise caution when browsing.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Browser hijackers, adware-type apps, and other types of PUAs are commonly distributed by integrating them into the download and/or installation set-ups of other programs, so that a proportion of users inadvertently download and install them together with their chosen software. This distribution method is known as "bundling".

Offers to download and install additionally-included apps usually appear in "Advanced", "Custom" and other settings of the set-ups (where they can usually be declined). Many users fail to check and change these settings, thereby granting permission for PUAs to be downloaded and installed by default.

In addition, unwanted downloads and installations are sometimes caused by clicking deceptive advertisements capable of executing certain scripts.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

You are advised to research all software before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule), and other third party downloaders commonly offer harmful and bundled content, and are therefore untrusted and should be avoided.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, however, they can redirect to dubious and malicious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others).

If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately. 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 displayed by one variant of the "Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged" scam, promoted on 24-support-global[.]expert:

YOUR IPHONE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED
Immediate Action Is Required!
OK

Appearance of the background page of this scam variant:

Text presented in this page:

Apple SecurityMonday
16 November 2020
WARNING! Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged by 13 viruses!

We have detected that your Browser is (62%) DAMAGED by BROWSER TROJAN VIRUSES picked up while surfing recent corrupted sites.
Immediate action is required to prevent it from spreading and infecting sensitive data like your Facebook account, Whatsapp messages photos and private applications.

 

Here is how you can solve this in just a few seconds (Step by Step)

 

Step 1: Tap REMOVE VIRUS to install VPN from the App Store.

 

Step 2: Open the app to activate the latest update and remove any older (Infected) versions.
1 minutes and 52 seconds
Remove Virus
Detected By Apple.

Appearance of another scam run on 24-support-global[.]expert:

Text presented in this variant:

VPN Update
Please Download The Free VPN App To Continue Watching in safe mode

0:11 / 1:38

Appearance of the app promoted by this scam variant:

Appearance of another "Your Apple iPhone is severely damaged" scam variant, promoted on 24-support-global[.]expert:

Text presented in this variant:

ВНИМАНИЕ!
Ваш Apple iPhone серьезно пострадал от 14 вирусов!
Мы определили, что ТРОЯНСКИЕ ВРЕДОНОСНЫЕ ПРОГРАММЫ ПОВРЕДИЛИ ваш браузер на (50.9%). Ваш телефон был заражен во время посещения сайтов злоумышленников.
Для предотвращения распространения вируса и заражения важной для вас информации, а также доступа к учетной записи в Facebook, сообщениям и фотографиям в WhatsApp, также к вашим личным приложениям, требуется немедленное действие.
Вот, что нужно сделать, чтобы решить данную проблему всего за несколько секунд (пошаговая инструкция)
Шаг 1: Нажмите УДАЛИТЬ ВИРУС, чтобы установить VPN из App Store.
Шаг 2: Запустите приложение, чтобы активировать последнее обновление и удалить старые (зараженные) версии приложения.
Удалить вирус

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 "24-support-global[.]expert"?
• 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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