Stop redirects to the "We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups on Your Mac" scam

What is "We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups on Your Mac"?

"We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups on Your Mac" is one of many scam websites that trick people into contacting scammers via a telephone number provided. This web page states that it has detected adware that can be removed with the help of their tech support (in fact, these are scammers who pose as "Apple Support").

Do not trust this tech-support scam and, more importantly, do not call the number displayed. Additionally, browsers often forcibly open these pages due to potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) already installed on them.

When visited, this scam page enters full-screen mode. The pop-up window states that it has detected unwanted pop-ups on the visitor's Mac computer. To remove adware that causes these pop-ups, visitors are encouraged to call "Apple Support" via the "1-844-313-5021" number.

This scam also displays a chat window that contains a very similar message encouraging people to call the same number. Typically, 'tech-support' scams and others attempt to trick people into purchasing (or simply downloading) unnecessary, unwanted software. In many cases, they also offer online services.

Their main goal is to extort money from people to generate revenue. To exit full-screen mode, press the "Esc" key. Then, close this website and avoid visiting these web pages in the future. If this scam page cannot be closed in the normal way, close the browser through Activity Monitor.

To avoid having this page opened again, do not restore the previously closed browsing session. Browsers commonly open pages of this type due to PUAs installed on them. These apps cause unwanted redirects, show dubious ads, and gather data relating to users' browsing habits.

Typically, PUAs display pop-up ads, surveys, coupons, banners, etc. If clicked, these ads cause redirects to pages such as this tech-support scam and other dubious sites, or they start downloading and then installing even more PUAs. Furthermore, PUAs often collect information such as IP addresses, geolocations, URLs of visited pages, entered search queries, and other data.

The people behind these apps share the data with other parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse private information to generate revenue. To avoid problems with privacy, browsing safety, or even becoming a victim of identity theft, we recommend that you uninstall all PUAs immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	"We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups on Your Mac" virus
Threat Type	Scam, Phishing, Mac malware, Mac virus
Fake Claim	This tech-support scam claims that the computer is infected with adware and encourages people to call the number provided.
Related Domain	macsupportllc[.]us
Detection Names (macsupportllc[.]us)	Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (macsupportllc[.]us)	173.214.172.205
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.

"Your Mac Is Infected With 4 Viruses", "Apple Support Alert", and "Virus Found Apple Message" are just some examples of other scam pages. Typically, they are designed to promote unwanted apps or encourage people to contact scammers via a telephone number.

These sites are deceptive and cannot be trusted. the PUAs that open them should not be trusted - they are promoted as legitimate and useful apps, however, they cause problems and deliver no real value.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

In most cases, people download and install PUAs unintentionally: 1) through deceptive ads that, when clicked, run scripts designed to cause unwanted downloads and installations, and; 2) through set-ups of other programs. PUAs are commonly bundled into set-ups of other software. 

Information relating to this additional software is usually hidden in setup options such as "Custom", "Advanced", and so on. Unfortunately, many people do not check these settings and leave them unchanged. In these cases, they end up downloading and installing PUAs together with their chosen software.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download and install software using official websites and direct links. Do not use third party downloaders, installers, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrent clients, eMule, dubious websites, or other similar channels. Check all "Custom", "Advanced" options in software setups. Remove any bundled apps - deselect them before completing the download or installation.

Avoid clicking advertisements, especially on unofficial, untrustworthy websites. Typically, these ads cause redirects to other untrustworthy (and potentially malicious) websites. If these redirects occur often or you see intrusive ads, check your browser for unwanted applications (extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons) installed.

Also check the list of installed programs on your computer. Uninstall all unwanted and unknown applications/programs and see if the problem persists. 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 "We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups on Your Mac" scam (GIF):

Text presented in this tech-support scam page:

Dear Apple Mac OS X Customer.
We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups on Your Mac.
Call Apple Support : 1-844-313-5021 (Toll Free)
Your Apple Support Id is: 3016237
Highly Recommended Phone Call.

Chat started
Apple Care
You are re-directed to Apple Support because your mac is infected with Pop-ups and Ad-ware virus. Please call Apple Support  1-844-313-5021 (Toll Free) to get this issue resolved.

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 "We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups on Your Mac" 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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