Stop being scammed by Badmonday

What is "Badmonday"?

Badmonday is a family of deceptive/scam websites, which operate using scare tactics to trick people into installing untrustworthy applications. This variation promotes Smart Mac Booster, which is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA).

Badmonday warns visitors of viruses it has detected on the MacOS (Mac Operating System) and offers Smart Mac Booster for removal. Note that no website can detect threats/issues on devices. Therefore, any problem alerts displayed by these sites are fake.

Websites displaying these messages cannot be trusted - do not download or install software advertised on them. Applications endorsed by deceptive sites are often bogus and nonfunctional. Most visitors to Badmonday access it inadvertently - they are redirected by PUAs already present on the system.

Visitors to Badmonday first see a pop-up window. The message in the window claims that a website the user visited earlier infected the MacOS with a virus. When this window is closed, another web page is displayed, which repeats the initial claim and adds that a full system scan is necessary to find and eliminate the dangerous applications/files.

To further give the impression of legitimacy, device details are listed (brand, OS version, browser, IP address, internet provider and location). Pressing "Scan Now" initiates a fake scan, which 'finds' a virus called "Bankworm". Badmonday recommends Advanced Mac Cleaner as an app for the removal of "Bankworm".

In fact, the "REMOVE VIRUS NOW" button leads to the download site of the Smart Mac Booster PUA. From this process, the maccleaner.pkg file is downloaded, which is known to spread unwanted applications.

Apps similar to Smart Mac Booster (for example, MacCleansePro, K9-MacOptimizer, Mac Fixer Pro, and many others) often require activation to become operational (require purchase). Despite any purchase made, however, they rarely work as advertised and in most cases remain nonoperational.

You are strongly advised against downloading/installing maccleaner.pkg, Smart Mac Booster, or any other suspicious content.

PUAs may seem legitimate and tempt users to install by offering a wide variety of features. These features are nonfunctional. The only purpose of PUAs is to generate revenue for the developers. Regular users receive no value. PUAs cause many issues and pose a threat to device/user safety.

They force-open sale-oriented, untrustworthy, compromised, deceptive/scam and even malicious websites. Unwanted apps can also run intrusive advertisement campaigns (pop-ups, banners, surveys, etc.) and hijack browsers.

Some have data tracking capabilities and record browsing activity (browsing, search engine histories) and gather users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations, and other details). This sensitive data is then shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) intent on misusing for financial gain.

To summarize, PUAs can cause browser/system infiltration and infections and lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. To protect your system from these risks, remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	Badmonday pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim	The error message alerts that the system is infected/damaged and encourages users to download a system cleaning tool.
Detection Names	Kaspersky (Malware), Fortinet (Spam), Spamhaus (Spam), 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.

Scam websites are very common and most share certain traits. Firdayfun, Wenfuntoday, and Funnytues are some examples of deceptive web page families identical to Badmonday. These sites typically use various scare tactics to trick users into downloading/installing and/or purchasing the software they advertise.

The promoted applications are often bogus and nonfunctional. Scam websites are mostly entered through redirects generated by PUAs or intrusive advertisements.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

The main mode of PUA proliferation is via the download/install set-ups of other software. "Bundling" is the term used to describe this deceptive marketing method of packing regular products with unwanted content. Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, etc.) increases the risk of potential system infiltration and infections.

Certain apps of this kind also possess "official" download web pages (including Smart Mac Booster). Intrusive ads are also known to proliferate PUAs. Once clicked, they execute scripts to download/install unwanted applications without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Research content, before downloading/installing. Use trustworthy and verified download channels. Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.), unofficial and free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders and similar sources are classed as untrustworthy and should not be used. Treat download and installation processes with caution.

Read the terms, explore all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt-out of downloading/installing supplementary apps, tools, features, etc.

Despite being commonly hosted by compromised web pages, intrusive advertisements often seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious websites (e.g. pornography, adult-dating, gambling and others).

If you experience ads/redirects of this type, inspect the device and immediately remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in the pop-up window:

VIRUS FOUND

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

Press OK to begin the repair process.

Screenshot of the second web page displayed by Badmonday:

Text presented 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

Screenshot of the fake scan:

Text presented 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 Badmonday scam (GIF):

List of domains related to the Badmonday scam website family:

badmonday1[.]live	badmonday30[.]live	badmonday58[.]live
badmonday10[.]live	badmonday39[.]live	badmonday61[.]live
badmonday110[.]live	badmonday41[.]live	badmonday66[.]live
badmonday112[.]live	badmonday44[.]live	badmonday69[.]live
badmonday117[.]live	badmonday45[.]live	badmonday70[.]live
badmonday120[.]live	badmonday46[.]live	badmonday76[.]live
badmonday16[.]live	badmonday49[.]live	badmonday79[.]live
badmonday17[.]live	badmonday52[.]live	badmonday89[.]live
badmonday21[.]live	badmonday55[.]live	badmonday93[.]live
badmonday23[.]live	badmonday57[.]live	badmonday96[.]live

Screenshot of Smart Mac Booster installation set-up:

Screenshot of the 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 Badmonday 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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