More and more users are reporting a similar problem on Safari. A window with a “Critical Security Warning” pops up and makes the user believe that some sort of suspicious activity has occurred on their Mac, the computer has been infected with a virus or worse yet has somehow been hijacked.
The most common pop-up looks like this:
“Critical Security Warning! Your Mac is infected with a malicious virus attack. Please contact tech support at +1-888-307-2735 and provide error code WBACK7917 to scan and resolve any potential threats to your personal and financial information, which was being tracked by suspicious connection. Consequently, we are performing additional security checks to verify the source of the attack and have halted all your system resources in order to prevent any additional damage to your system and information.”
Your browser (Safari, Chrome or Explorer) will be unresponsive and you we’ll be unable to get rid of the pop-up. This is most definitely a scam.
If you are not an experienced Mac user or even computer user, this immediately looks like your Mac has been infected with malware that at all appearances looks to be destructive and at the very least an expensive problem to have to deal with.
This isn’t an actual virus; it is just a Java Script pop up made to look like a virus. Remain calm and remember your computer has not actually been infected with any sort of malware. This type of message is meant to scare and intimidate Mac users into believing something is wrong.
Don’ts:
- You should not call the number given in the message. If you do you will be asked to allow a technician to access your computer remotely, or you may be asked for money to “install” virus software that will stop the problem.
- Do not click the “OK” button
This is a scam designed to steal as much money as possible in as many ways as possible from everyday computer (specifically Mac users).
Here Is How to Avoid The “Security Alert Messages”
Follow these steps to quit Safari:
- Press Command-Option-Esc at the same time
- In the Force Quit Window, select Safari
- Click on Force Quit
Restart Safari (Note: Pop-Up May Re-Appear)
While holding down the “shift” key, launch Safari. This will keep previous browsing sessions from re-opening.
If you are still having issues with a “Critical Warning” taking over your browser, try these steps as well:
- Force quite Safari
- Hold down the shift key when re-launching Safari
- Turn the Wi-Fi off. (Do this by clicking on the “wireless” icon in the upper left of your Mac)
- Go to apple.com in the browser address
- Turn the Wi-Fi back on
Receiving a “Critical Security Warning” message on your Mac can be a nerve wracking experience. Don’t let it overwhelm you and remember it is not actually malware or a virus, it is a scam that can be avoided with a little bit of internet research and understanding you Mac a little bit better.
