Myntre.org POP-UP Scam (Mac)

What is "myntre.org"?

myntre.org is a deceptive website used by scammers who attempt to trick people into believing that they can win a Samsung Galaxy S9 or Apple iPhone XS smartphone.

Most people visit websites of this type unintentionally, since they are redirected by potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) - in this case, by adware-type apps. These apps usually deploy advertisements, gather information, and cause redirects to untrustworthy websites.

This scam is presented as a notification (it appears in a pop-up window) from Telenet, a telephone service company based in Belgium. According to scammers, whoever visited myntre.org was selected as a potential winner of a Galaxy S9 or Apple iPhone XS. To participate in this lottery, users are required to answer some questions.

Scammers urge people to answer them within five minutes. Fake lotteries such as as this are used to trick people into providing various details (email addresses, telephone numbers, and so on), which are used to generate revenue in various ways. Note that Telenet has nothing to do with this scam and there are no real prizes.

Websites of this type cannot be trusted and should be ignored/closed. If myntre.org cannot be closed normally, use Activity Monitor and 'force quit' the Safari (or other browser) process. Do not restore the browsing session, since this will reopen the deceptive website.

Most people visit this website unintentionally - they are forced to do so by installed adware-type apps. These apps feed users with intrusive advertisements (pop-ups, surveys, coupons, banners, and so on). They can appear on any visited website and conceal underlying content. Furthermore, when clicked, they often open untrustworthy, deceptive websites (such as myntre.org).

Some might contain malicious content and cause computer infections. PUAs often cause redirects to untrustworthy websites and gather information, usually relating to users' browsing habits. For example, IP addresses, search queries, geo-locations, URLs of visited websites, and so on.

Developers share the information with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. If you have apps of this type installed on your system, eliminate them immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	Myntre.org virus
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
Symptoms	Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady 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.

Similar deceptive websites display fake lotteries or other scams. Some examples include "Google Customer Reward Program", "You Are Our Winner Today!", and "You've Made The 5-billionth Search". Generally, criminals use these scams to obtain personal details from people and then to use them to generate revenue.

Most people visit websites of this type due to potentially unwanted applications that they install unintentionally.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Some PUAs are promoted on various websites, however, few people download and install them intentionally - most are tricked into it. To achieve this, software developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". They bundle (add) unwanted apps within the installation/download set-ups of other software.

Furthermore, they do not disclose information regarding the bundling of  PUAs - they are hidden in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", and so on.

Note, however, that PUAs developers cannot successfully use this method without users who install or download software carelessly, without checking the available settings/options. Therefore, unintentional installations usually occur when people leave all settings unchanged.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

To avoid unwanted (unintentional) downloads and installations, download software using official websites and direct links. Unofficial websites, torrent clients, eMule (and other Peer-to-Peer networks), third party downloaders/installers are not reliable channels for software downloads. These tools are often monetized by promoting unwanted apps.

Install software with care. Do not to leave settings such as "Custom", "Advanced" (and other) options of the software installation/download setups unchecked/unchanged. Decline offers to install unwanted software, and only then finish the download/installation processes. Do not click advertisements displayed on unofficial, dubious websites.

They often cause redirects to gambling, adult dating, pornography and other dubious websites. When a web browser causes unwanted redirects or displays ads, it usually indicates that the computer or browser is infiltrated by unwanted apps. Therefore, check for extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins installed on the browser, and programs on the computer.

Remove all suspicious entries immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Appearance of myntre.org scam (GIF):

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 Myntre.org virus?
• 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.

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