How to uninstall apps that open Mac Repair Center scam page?
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
(updated)
How to remove apps that are designed to promote Mac Repair Center scam page from Mac?
What is Mac Repair Center scam?
There are many deceptive websites that are designed to trick visitors into believing that their computers are infected with some malicious software and installing some other potentially unwanted software or paying money for unnecessary services, programs. This website is no exception. It is disguised as the official Apple website, however, the actual Apple company has nothing to do with this page. It is strongly recommended to ignore this website.
Once visited, this website displays a pop-up notification saying that it was opened because Mac computer is infected with adware or malware that was downloaded from some untrustworthy source. It also says that it is highly recommended to contact Mac (Apple) Support via chat that can be accessed by closing this pop-up window. The website itself is designed to look like a legitimate Mac Repair Center/Support Center where users can get online assistance, download the latest macOS, view Mac repair options, learn about service coverage, etc. The main purpose of this website is to trick visitors into contacting scammers who pose themselves as certified Mac technicians. As a rule, visitors who contact (write or call) scammers behind websites like this one are offered unnecessary technical support (online services, software). Simply said, scammers behind such pages attempt to extract money from unsuspecting users. Moreover, it is common that scammers ask visitors for a remote access to their computers so they could infect them with some malware (e.g. ransomware) and/or steal sensitive information. In one way or another, websites like this one should never be trusted.
| Name | Mac Repair Center technical support scam |
| Threat Type | Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus |
| Fake Claim | Mac is infected with adware, malware, virus |
| Related Domain | contact-apple[.]net |
| Detection Names (contact-apple[.]net) | Comodo Valkyrie Verdict (Malicious), Kaspersky (Phishing), Sophos AV (Malware), Full List (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address | 103.129.97.141 |
| 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, monetary loss |
| Malware Removal (Mac) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
A couple of examples of similar websites are "IOS /MAC Defender Alert", "Your Mac is infected with 5 viruses!" and "Warning: Your macOS has expired". What most of them have in common is that they are designed to deceive visitors into thinking that there is something wrong with their computers and they need to fix it as soon as possible. Typically, visitors are encouraged either to call or write scammers, or download and install some potentially malicious software. It is worthwhile to mention that users do not such websites intentionally. In most cases such pages are promoted via deceptive ads, other untrustworthy sites or potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
Most of the times users download and install PUAs together with other programs, when developers distribute them by using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". To be more precise, when PUAs are included download and/or installation setups of other programs as extra offers. Typically, offers to download and/or install additionally included apps can be declined in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings of setups, or by unticking certain checkboxes. Users who download and/or install programs without checking (and changing) those settings allow for included PUAs to be downloaded and/or installed too. Also, unwanted downloads and installations can be caused by clicking deceptive advertisements that are designed to run certain scripts.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
It is recommended to download software from official, reliable websites and use direct download links for that. Third party downloaders, Peer-to-Peer networks (e.g., torrent clients, eMule), unofficial websites, etc., are not trustworthy download sources. Third party installers should not be used as well. Furthermore, it is advised to check download and/or installation setups for "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings and see if they include offers to download or install additionally included (unwanted) apps. Intrusive ads that are displayed on questionable, shady pages should not be clicked as well - they can be designed either to open other untrustworthy websites or even caus unwanted downloads, and/or installations by running certain scripts. If there are any unwanted apps (extensions, add-ons, plug-ins) installed on a web browser, then they should be removed from it. The same should be done with programs of this kind that are 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.
Appearance of Mac Repair Center scam (GIF):
Text in the pop-up window:
Dear : Mac Customer,
You have been redirected to Mac Support page because your Mac is infected with Popup Adware Virus due to download's from untrusted source.
We have noticed excessive POPUP ADS or SECURITY ISSUES on your Mac !
It could be because of a possible MALWARE or Adware download.
CHAT NOW WITH MAC SUPPORT
Please note your CASE ID is: -
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED : CONTACT NOW
Text in the website:
Support Center
Communities Chat Now
Welcome to Mac Repair Center
We are here to help you
Configuration and installation.Get an online assistance
Chat right now.
Get Latest MacOS
Repair and warranty
Learn about repair options, service coverage, or the progress of a repair.Mac repair options
Learn more about Mac repair options with an online expert.s.view repair options
Looking for Mac Repair Support
How can we help you?
Take advantage of an online technician to get assistance with your Mac
Sign up to learn the basics or take your skills to the next level.
Other ways to get help: chat now : ..
Instant automatic Mac malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer 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 three days free trial available.
Quick menu:
- What is Mac Repair Center scam?
- 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 mac repair center technical support scam 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 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 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 in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure 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 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 it's virus definition database and click "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.
Mac Repair Center technical support scam removal from Internet browsers:
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Remove mac repair center technical support scam related Safari extensions:
Open 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 normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Remove mac repair center technical support scam related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:
Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the "Open Menu" (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose "Add-ons".
Choose the "Extensions" tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Remove" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Remove mac repair center technical support scam related Google Chrome add-ons:
Open Google Chrome and click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose "More Tools" and select "Extensions".
In the "Extensions" window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Trash" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.
Outstanding!
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