Prevent scams caused by Stydbui websites

What is "Stydbui"?

Stydbui is a family of scam websites, which operate by deceiving visitors into downloading/installing untrustworthy applications. This variation endorses the Smart Mac Booster Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Stydbui warns users of a virus, which it has supposedly detected on the MacOS (Mac Operating System).

Note, however, that no site can find issues/threats on users' devices: all such claims and problems detected are false. Software advertised on these web pages cannot be trusted - it is often bogus and nonoperational. Few visitors to Stydbui access it intentionally, most are redirected by PUAs already present on the system.

When opened, Stydbui displays a pop-up window with a message informing the user that a website visited earlier has infected the MacOS with a virus. It urges the user to press "OK" to begin the repair process.

After the pop-up is closed, Stydbui shows another web page, which repeats the initial alert and recommends a full system scan to detect and eliminate the dangerous files/applications. It also lists the visitor's device details: brand, OS version, browser, IP address, internet provider, and location.

Following these recommendations, it initiates a fake scan. This results in "detection" of a virus called "Bankworm", which is described as high-risk. Stydbui offers the Advanced Mac Cleaner application for removal of this threat. The app is apparently free and top-rated.

In fact, the "REMOVE VIRUS NOW" button redirects users to the promotional web page of Smart Mac Booster. Download of this application leads to download of the maccleaner.pkg file, known for proliferation of PUAs. Fake Mac cleaners and optimizers are not uncommon.

For example, MacCleansePro, K9-MacOptimizer, and Advanced Mac Booster are all similar to Smart Mac Booster. Software of this type usually requires activation to perform its functions promised (i.e., requires purchase to become operational). Despite any purchases made, however, these applications often remain nonfunctional.

Therefore, do not download/install maccleaner.pkg or Smart Mac Booster due to the various risks posed.

In general, PUAs are all similar, and some are identical. They may seem legitimate and offer "useful" features to lure users to install. In fact, their functions rarely work as advertised and, in most cases, do not work at all. The only purpose of all unwanted content is to generate revenue for the developers.

Regular users receive no value. As well as causing various problems, these apps also endanger device and user safety. PUAs redirect to sale-based, untrustworthy, deceptive/scam and even malicious websites. They can deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns (pop-ups, banners, coupons, etc.).

Others hijack browsers and promote fake search engines. Unwanted applications possess data tracking capabilities. They monitor users' browsing habits (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) and collect personal information (IP addresses, geolocations, and other details).

This sensitive data is then shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) seeking to misuse it for financial gain. In summary, PUAs can cause browser/system infiltration and infections, and lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. Therefore, immediately remove all dubious applications and/or browser extensions present on the device.

Threat Summary:

Name	Stydbui 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	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.

The internet is rife with deceptive websites, most of which share common traits. Badmonday, Sundayfunny, and Firdayfun are some examples of scam website families identical to Stydbui. These web pages typically use scare tactics to encourage users into downloading/installing and purchasing the products they promote.

The advertised applications are generally fake and nonoperational. Users access these web pages through redirects generated by intrusive advertisements or by PUAs.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs proliferate through the download/install set-ups of other software. This deceptive marketing technique of packing regular products with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling". Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, using pre-set options, etc.) increases the risk of allowing bundled software onto systems inadvertently.

Certain PUAs (e.g. Smart Mac Booster) have "official" download websites. They can also infiltrate devices via intrusive ads. When clicked, these might execute scripts designed to download/install PUAs without users' consent.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Research all content, before downloading/installing. Use only official and verified download channels. Download sources such as Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.), unofficial and free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders and similar are untrustworthy and should be avoided.

Treat download/Installation processes with caution. Read the terms, study all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of downloading/installing supplementary apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive ads often seem normal and innocuous, however, they can redirect to dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and many others).

If you experience ads/redirects of this kind, inspect the device and remove all suspicious 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 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.

Second web page displayed by Stydbui:

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

Stydbui 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 Stydbui scam (GIF):

List of domains related to the Stydbui scam family:

stydbui106.live	stydbui29.live	stydbui55.live
stydbui11.live	stydbui30.live	stydbui58.live
stydbui113.live	stydbui32.live	stydbui59.live
stydbui114.live	stydbui33.live	stydbui63.live
stydbui117.live	stydbui34.live	stydbui65.live
stydbui12.live	stydbui36.live	stydbui77.live
stydbui13.live	stydbui40.live	stydbui80.live
stydbui14.live	stydbui41.live	stydbui81.live
stydbui15.live	stydbui42.live	stydbui92.live
stydbui18.live	stydbui49.live	stydbui93.live
stydbui26.live	stydbui5.live	stydbui98.live

Smart Mac Booster installation setup:

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 Stydbui 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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