Prevent being scammed by sundayfunny

What is "Sundayfunny"?

Sundayfunny is a family of scam web sites designed to promote untrustworthy applications. This variant advertises Smart Mac Booster, which is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Websites of this type operate using scare tactics to trick visitors into downloading/installing the software that they endorse.

Sundayfunny alerts users of viruses it has supposedly detected and offers Smart Mac Booster to eliminate them. Note that no website is capable of finding issues/threats on devices and the alarms they display are fake. Furthermore, applications promoted on these web pages tend to be bogus and nonoperational.

Few visitors access these sites intentionally, and most are redirected by PUAs already present on the system.

Sundayfunny first displays a pop-up window with a message stating that a website the user supposedly visited earlier has infected the device with a virus. To begin the repair process, the user is urged to press "OK". Once the pop-up is closed, another web page is shown, the contents of which elaborate more on the supposed threat.

It repeats the origin of the virus and informs visitors that a full system scan is necessary to locate harmful files/applications and remove them. The site also lists device information (brand, OS version, browser, IP address, Internet provider and location) to further give the impression of legitimacy.

Following the instructions, Sundayfunny initiates a fake system scan. This results in "detection" of the "Bankworm" virus, which is listed as high-risk. Additionally, it names the allegedly infected file. The Advanced Mac Cleaner is promoted for the removal of "Bankworm" - the application is free and apparently has a high rating.

In fact, clicking the "REMOVE VIRUS NOW" button redirects users to the promotional site of Smart Mac Booster. The download process of this software leads to download of the maccleaner.pkg file, which is known for the proliferation of PUAs. Typically, this software requires activation to become functional (i.e., it must be purchased to perform the promised functions).

Despite any purchase, however, these applications remain nonoperational. There are many PUAs similar to Smart Mac Booster online, including, for example, MacCleansePro, K9-MacOptimizer, and Mac Clean Pro. You are advised against downloading/installing the maccleaner.pkg file and the aforementioned app.

Most PUAs share certain common traits. They often seem legitimate, and show little difference to genuine applications this type. Users are enticed to install them, however, their features are rarely operational or do not work as advertised. The only purpose of all unwanted content is to generate revenue for the developers, whilst regular users receive no value.

PUAs have various dangerous capabilities. They can cause redirects to sale-based, untrustworthy, compromised, deceptive/scam and even malicious websites. Some hijack browsers and promote fake search engines.

Others run intrusive advertisement campaigns (pop-ups, banners, surveys, coupons, etc.), which severely diminish the browsing experience and carry certain risks. PUAs possess data tracking capabilities. They monitor users' browsing activity (browsing and search engine histories) and collect personal information (IP addresses, geolocations, and other details).

This private data is then shared with third parties and can end up being used for criminal purposes. In summary, unwanted apps can cause browser and system infiltration/infections, and lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss, and even identity theft. To ensure device and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	sundayfunny pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	The error message alerts users that system is infected/damaged and encourages them to download a system cleaning tool.
Detection Names	BitDefender (Malware), Kaspersky (Malware), Sophos AV (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), G-Data (Phishing) Full List (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	176.119.1.201
Related Domains	Full list below.
Promoted Unwanted Application	Smart Mac Booster
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.

Firdayfun, Wenfuntoday, and Funnytues are just some examples of scam website families identical to Sundayfunny. Deceptive web pages of this kind employ scare tactics to encourage users into downloading, installing, and purchasing the software they endorse.

The content they advertise is mostly bogus and nonfunctional. These sites are commonly accessed via redirects generated by intrusive advertisements or by PUAs.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs often proliferate through the download/installation set-ups of other software. This deceptive marketing tactic of pre-packing regular product with unwanted or malicious applications is called "bundling". The risk of allowing such content onto systems increases due to rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, using pre-set options, etc.).

Some unwanted apps have "official" download web pages. Intrusive advertisements do not need user consent to download/install PUAs. Once clicked, they can execute scripts, designed for this purpose.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Research content, before downloading/installing. Use only trustworthy and verified download channels. Do not use P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.), unofficial and free file-hosting websites, third party downloaders and similar sources - they are classed as untrustworthy.

When downloading/installing, read terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and decline additional apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive advertisements typically seem normal and harmless, however, they redirect to dubious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and others).

If you encounter these ads/redirects, check the system and remove all dubious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins without delay. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Text in Sundayfunny pop-up window:

VIRUS FOUND

A website you visited today has infected your Mac with a virus.

Press OK to begin the repair process.

Second web page presented by Sundayfunny:

Text in this page:

VIRUS FOUND
A website you have visited today has infected your Mac with a virus. A full system scan is now required to find and remove harmful files or applications from your Mac OS X 10_13_6 device.
DEVICE INFORMATION
Brand: Apple
Device: Mac OS X 10_13_6
Browser: Safari 12.0.1
IP: 85.206.10.62
Provider: Telia Lietuva, AB
Location: - LT
Scan Now

Results of Sundayfunny fake system scan:

Text in this page:

DOWNLOAD REQUIRED
Please download the Advanced Mac Cleaner application to remove Bankworm from your Mac.
VIRUS INFORMATION
Virus Name: Bankworm
Risk: HIGH
Infected File: /os/apps/worm.icv
VIRUS REMOVAL
Application: Advanced Mac Cleaner
Rating: 9.9/10
Price: Free
REMOVE VIRUS NOW

Appearance of Sundayfunny scam (GIF):

List of domains related to Sundayfunny pop-up scam family:

sundayfunny92[.]live	sundayfunny60[.]live
sundayfunny75[.]live	sundayfunny4[.]live
sundayfunny119[.]live	sundayfunny33[.]live
sundayfunny19[.]live	sundayfunny110[.]live
sundayfunny59[.]live	sundayfunny14[.]live
sundayfunny20[.]live	sundayfunny64[.]live
sundayfunny89[.]live	sundayfunny62[.]live
sundayfunny23[.]live	sundayfunny72[.]live
sundayfunny26[.]live	sundayfunny91[.]live
sundayfunny73[.]live	sundayfunny74[.]live

Smart Mac Booster installation setup:

Screenshot of Smart Mac Booster application:

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 sundayfunny pop-up?
• 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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