How to spot fake messages like "Access To This MAC Has Been Blocked"

What is "Access To This MAC Has Been Blocked"?

It is a fake virus message displayed by a deceptive website (a technical support scam site). The purpose of this page is to trick unsuspecting visitors into calling the provided number. None of the messages on this page are real. Thus, this website should be ignored.

"Access To This MAC Has Been Blocked" in detail

This scam page shows a fake macOS Security message (a fake security warning) claiming that access to this Mac has been blocked for security reasons. It says a computer has been infected with Trojan Spyware, and email credentials, banking passwords, and Facebook login information have been compromised.

This site urges visitors to call 808-400-0297 (supposedly "Mac Support"). Scammers behind technical support scams try to extract credit card details, ID card information, or other sensitive details, or they urge people to pay for fake (or unnecessary) products or services.

Also, scammers use technical support scams to obtain remote access to computers. They ask users to install TeamViewer, UltraViewer, AnyDesk, or a similar remote administration tool. Once they have access to computers, they can steal information, infect computers with malware (e.g., ransomware, crypto-mining malware), and perform other malicious activities.

Threat Summary:

Name	Access To This MAC Has Been Blocked technical support scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Mac computer has been infected/acess to computer has been blocked
Disguise	Warning from Apple Security
Fake Technical Support Number	808-400-0297
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
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.

Examples of similar scams

Examples of similar scams are "Apple Security Center", "Apple Defender Security Center", and "Your MAC Has Been Blocked Due To Suspicious Activity!". Usually, messages displayed on these scam sites urge visitors to call "technical support" to remove supposedly detected malware or solve other problems.

Neither Apple nor any other legitimate company is not associated with websites that display fake system, virus, error, or other messages.

How did I open a scam website

In most cases, technical support scam sites and similar pages are promoted via untrustworthy advertisements, notifications from shady websites, and pages that use rogue advertising networks (e.g., torrent sites and illegal movie streaming pages).

Rogue apps (e.g., adware-type apps) may also be used to promote websites that display fake messages. Either way, do not visit such pages on purpose

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Do not click advertisements on questionable websites or agree to receive notifications from such sites. Download apps and files from official websites and verified stores only. Check downloaders and installers for unwanted apps and deselect them before finishing downloads and installations.

If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate all threats. If your computer is already infected with unwanted apps, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

The appearance of "Access To This MAC Has Been Blocked" pop-up scam (GIF):

Text in this scam:

macOS Security
Access to this MAC has been blocked for security reasons.
Contact Mac Support: 808-400-0297 (USA Toll Free)
Threat Detected: Trojan Spyware.
App: Ads.financetrack(1).exe
Run Anyway

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▼ 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 Access To This MAC Has Been Blocked technical support scam?
• 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a pop-up scam?

It is a fake message (e.g., virus alert or security warning) displayed by an untrustworthy website designed to trick unsuspecting visitors into performing certain actions.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Most scammers behind these scams attempt to extract sensitive information (e.g., credit card details, login credentials, ID card details), obtain remote access to computers, or extract money (e.g., to trick visitors into paying for fake or unnecessary services or products), etc.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Typically, users open websites that show fake pop-ups via untrustworthy advertisements, notifications from shady websites, or pages that use rogue advertising networks. It is uncommon for websites that display fake messages to be visited on purpose.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner will detect untrustworthy websites, including pages designed to deliver fake/deceptive messages. It warns users about dubious pages and restricts access to them.

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