Here are the most practical tips on getting rid of the persistent “Your system is infected with 3 viruses” alerts, and how to deal with other hoax technical support popups of the same kind.
Social Engineering and Cybercrimes
There are so many cybercrimes nowadays and they are even partnered by programs that are designed to manipulate people into giving confidential information including their passwords, and even bank information. In easier cases, there are malwares designed to infiltrate privacy by going through browsers’ cache and cookies. Since victimizing computer programs can be very difficult compared to targeting humans, these threats have been developed as partners.
These partnered malicious programs work by starting to act as popup alerts which say that the system has been infected by three viruses. They have a good interface that looks so real, that when some users of Mac OS encounter it, they immediately panic and click on the bogus prompts that lead them into a very tragic situation.
A Closer Look on These Frauds
To identify what these frauds really are, let’s take a much closer look at them. Users do not intentionally visit the fake websites we are now discussing about. Instead, they get there for some of these possible reasons:
- Websites which were hacked by performing scripts.
- Malicious codes that have been consequently stored on the system.
Here are some examples of domains that are involved in this scam:
- com-traffic-cleaner.systems
- com-supportcenter.pro
- com-protect-systems-live
It starts by redirecting with a popup alert which says that an immediate action is required because a file, “e.tre456_worm_osx”, or Trojan virus, has been detected on the Mac OS and that the user should click on “OK” to start the process to repair the system. The alert comes in different formats but all of them is directed to cause an alarm to the user and convinces them to continue. However, it doesn’t matter what the user selects on the alert, because as long as the user clicks on it, the fraud goes on and it will still take the user to the main webpage which shouts at the top “Your system is infected with 3 viruses!”
To make it look even worse, the webpage contains information which says that the Mac OS has been infected and that there are now 3 viruses in it which are 2 malwares and a spyware, or a phishing software. It also shows how many percent the damage in the system is. It also tells the user that the viruses should be immediately removed to avoid worse damage in the system such as losing photos, files, and apps.
It even mentions the user’s OS X version to make it more believable that a spyware or phishing program has been discovered in the system which puts the user’s personal information, including bank information, at risk. It then ends with a comforting statement that immediately clicking on the “Scan Now” button will help quickly help in solving the issue.
No matter how much it looks like an authentic security product, it is a complete hoax designed to put the browsers and operating system into more risk. It makes itself more convincing by using the AppleCare Protection Plan’s official logo and has a name that sounds like a real Apple product – MacKeeper. The button at the lower side of the page is actually for downloading the MacKeeper, a malicious software that coats its real intention as an anti-malware program. Some users already know its real nature although some are unable to detect it from the warning’s main webpage.
The Notorious MacKeeper
It has a reputation for persistent malicious advertising and fake positive ratings to convince users of Mac OS to buy or download the license. In a worst-case scenario, the alerts it sends are very risky and compromises the devices to an even greater level. The program infiltrates the browser and changes its default settings to gather private information collected by websites.
Knowing that no matter what the user clicks on the website to respond to the alert, the malware will still operate. Therefore, the best way to deal with it is to ignore the suggestions given by these alerts.
The next step to dealing with this kind of scam is by taking it off from its roots by removing the malware as soon as it has been detected after running a system check on browsers.
Manually Remove The Scam Alerts On Mac
To remove the fake alerts on Mac manually, follow the instructions step by step as it has been ordered as below:
1. On the Apple Finder dock, click “Go” then choose “Utilities.”
2. Look for “Activity Monitor” and open it by double-clicking on the icon.
3. The “Activity Monitor” lists down all of the activities including the suspicious ones. Look for those items and select them.
4. Once all of the suspicious activities were selected, click “Force Quit.” It should forcibly stop all of those items.
5. Go back to the Apple Finder dock and click “Go” again. Choose “Applications” then look for an icon that looks like a possible malicious software.
6. Right-click on the suspicious icon then choose “Move to Trash.” Enter the password if it is required.
7. Go back to the Apple Finder dock then click on the Apple logo then choose “System Preferences.”
8. Click “Accounts” then “Login Items.” A list of startup apps will appear.
9. Click on “-” of the potential malware.
Remove Fake Popup Alerts On Browsers
The best solution to get rid of the annoying fake popup alerts from popping up while browsing the internet is to reset the browser and return it to its default settings.
Here is how to reset Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome:
Safari
1. Open Safari then click the “Safari” menu.
2. From the drop-down list, click on “Reset Safari”
Google Chrome
1. Open Chrome.
2. Click “Customize and Control Google Chrome.” (The button that looks like three horizontal bars on the top right side.)
3. Choose “Options” and a new window will open.
4. Click the tab “Under the Hood.”
5. On the bottom part of the window, click the button “Reset to defaults.”
Mozilla Firefox
1. Launch Firefox.
2. Click on “Help” then “Troubleshooting Information” and a new tab will open.
3. There is a small gray box on the right side of the screen. Click the button “Reset Firefox.”
How to Use Freshmac To Remove Deceptive Alerts
Freshmac is an application which is perfectly capable in removing malicious programs including false adwares like the “Your system is infected with 3 viruses” popup alert. It is particularly designed to neutralize the harmful effects of these types of malwares. It also provides the most important security tools, comes with Mac OS essential modules, and has a very reliable 24/7 technical support.
To use Freshmac:
- Get the Freshmac installer by downloading it on your device.
- Run the installer by opening the file “Freshmac.pkg” then choose the file destination and click “Continue.”
- Type in the password to authorize the installation on the dialog box then click “Install Software.”
- Once it is completed, the program will start scanning automatically starting from the cache until the privacy issues. It also scans unused languages, trash, and logs.
- After the scan has finished, it will show the current security status of the system. Click “Fix Safely” to remove all unnecessary items.
- Click “Uninstaller” from the options on the left side of the interface to check if the browser’s redirect issue has been solved. If there is an entry that looks conspicuous, select the issue and choose “Fix Safely.”
- All other unwanted items can also be removed by going to “Startup Apps” and “Temp.”
