Stop browsers from opening apple-vpn-pro.com

What is apple-vpn-pro[.]com?

apple-vpn-pro[.]com is a deceptive website that displays fake virus messages and encourages visitors to remove the 'detected viruses' with a specific application. At time of the research, apple-vpn-pro[.]com promoted the Web Security Checker application. Do not trust sites such as apple-vpn-pro[.]com or apps that are advertised through them.

Note that apple-vpn-pro[.]com mostly targets iPad and iPhone users, however, Mac users are also being targeted. In any case, most people arrive at apple-vpn-pro[.]com unintentionally - they are usually redirected to websites of this type by potentially unwanted apps (PUAs) installed on their browsers or devices.

At first, apple-vpn-pro[.]com displays a pop-up window, a notification about 39 detected viruses that will supposedly corrupt the SIM card, damage contacts, photos, apps, and other data. The background page states that these viruses should be removed immediately, otherwise they will cause serious damage.

To remove them, visitors are encouraged to tap or click the "Repair Now" button, which leads to a download page of Web Security Checker. The download page is an official App Store website, and thus it is likely that Web Security Checker is a legitimate application.

In fact, software that is advertised through deceptive websites such as apple-vpn-pro[.]com should not be trusted.

Browsers are generally forced to open these dubious sites by PUAs installed on the browser or operating system. These apps usually display unwanted, intrusive advertisements and collect details relating to users. Typically, they display coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and so on.

When clicked, the ads open untrustworthy, potentially malicious websites or cause download/installation of unwanted applications.

They also gather details such as users' IP addresses, geolocations, URLs of visited websites, entered search queries, and other information that might include sensitive details. Developers share the data with third parties (possibly cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue.

Threat Summary:

Name	apple-vpn-pro.com pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	According to this website, the user's Apple device is infected with a number of viruses.
Serving IP Address	157.230.152.172
Detection Names	BitDefender (Malware), CyRadar (Malicious), Sophos AV (Malicious), Spamhaus (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
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.

apple-vpn-pro[.]com is very similar to safari-protection[.]com, thevpnsafety[.]com, safetyvpn[.]net, and many other websites of this type. Most trick people into installing apps (often dubious) that supposedly remove detected viruses, fix errors, etc. Do not download apps from deceptive pages or trust information displayed on them.

All PUAs are very similar - developers advertise them as useful, legitimate, and so on, however, after installation, they do not operate as promised and simply put users at risk of identity theft, problems with privacy, browsing safety, and other issues.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

Generally, people do not download and/or install unwanted apps intentionally. They cause this by clicking deceptive ads or when they download or install other programs without checking the set-ups.

Developers commonly distribute unwanted apps by including them in the download or installation set-ups of other software - offers to download or install additional applications are usually hidden in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", and so on.

Unfortunately, not all people check these settings and leave them unchanged. In doing so, they unintentionally allow PUAs to be downloaded or installed with regular software by default.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Programs and files should be downloaded from official websites and via direct download links. Other sources such as unofficial pages, Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule, etc.), third party downloaders and other similar channels are often used to promote unwanted apps.

Furthermore, it is important to check all settings/options that are available in various set-ups and deselect offers to download or install additional software. Intrusive ads that are displayed on untrustworthy, unofficial websites should not be clicked. They usually cause redirects to other dubious websites or unwanted downloads/installations.

If the browser displays unwanted advertisements and/or opens untrustworthy websites, remove all unwanted, and dubious apps (extensions, plug-ins or add-ons) installed on it.

Also apply this to programs of this type installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshot of the apple-vpn-pro[.]com pop-up window:

Text in this pop-up:

ATTENTION - Viruses found!
Your Apple is severely damaged by (39) viruses! Soon your Apple SIM card will be corrupt and it will damage your contacts, photos, data, applications, etc..

Screenshot of the main apple-vpn-pro[.]com page:

Text presented in this page (mobile and desktop version):

Your iPhone is severly damaged by (39) viruses
We've noticed that your Apple is 28.1% Damaged by (30) harmful viruses from recent adult sites. It will soon corrupt your iPhone's SIM card and damage your contacts, photos, data, and applications.
4 minutes and 43 seconds
If you don't remove the virus now, it will cause serious damage to your iPhone. Here's what you need to do (step by step):

Step 1: Tap and install Web Security for free on the App Store!

Step 2: Open the application to speed up and fix your browser now!
Repair Now

Appearance of apple-vpn-pro[.]com scam (GIF):

Web Security Checker download page:

To enable pop-up blocking, fraudulent website warnings, and remove web browsing data in mobile Apple devices, follow these steps:

First, go to "Settings", and then scroll down to find and tap "Safari".

Check if the "Block Pop-ups" and "Fraudulent Website Warning" toggles are enabled. If not, enable them immediately. Then, scroll down and tap "Advanced".

Tap "Website Data" and then "Remove All Website Data".

Video presenting apple-vpn-pro[.]com scam website and showing how to clean web browsing data:

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 apple-vpn-pro[.]com?
• STEP 1. Remove PUA related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Potentially unwanted applications removal:

Remove potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select "Applications". In the applications folder, look for "MPlayerX","NicePlayer", or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove adware-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.

Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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