Apple Platform Spyware Scam

All such messages are scams presented by criminals. Do not interact with the message or the sender. Do not call any number presented. Do not download anything based on such bogus messages.

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-8071

One further note. It sounds as if you may have Clean My Mac installed on you Mac. Get rid of it. It's pretty close to malware itself. It will do more harm than good.

Effective defenses against malware and ot… - Apple Community

Got to love these criminals who are so computer-illiterate that they put up a message saying that an application with a name ending in ".exe" is threatening a Mac.

https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams

I have a slight correction for the dialog saying "The following data has been compromised". It would be much more accurate if it read "The following data will be compromised once you call our number and fall for our scam …"!

Servant of Cats wrote:

Got to love these criminals who are so computer-illiterate that they put up a message saying that an application with a name ending in ".exe" is threatening a Mac.

Purportedly, that’s deliberate, as it filters out the folks that would otherwise waste the scammers’ time and resources.

The scammers are a business with metrics and goals and call-center staffing after all, and who wants to tie up limited staff and phone and computer resources with non-paying customers?

It’s the folks that get this right—with phishing or spear-phishing—that are far more concerning.

That is frighteningly clever.

It's real. Consider the number of people who don't even think to ask here first.

Edit: Here you go: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/gtmz5p/til_nigerian_prince_scam_emails_are_intentionally/

Same idea.

IdrisSeabright wrote:

MrHoffman wrote:

Purportedly, that’s deliberate, as it filters out the folks that would otherwise waste the scammers’ time and resources.

That is frighteningly clever.

Propaganda, censorship, phishing and spear-phishing, advertising as news, targeted advertising, we’re swimming in it.

Oceans of cleverness to contend with.

Unfortunately also myriad unwary, inattentive, overtired, overworked, or overwhelmed—pretty much all of us, and increasingly often—to target and to mine for profit, too.

Exploitation techniques and targeting and “new” censorship techniques are probably best discussed elsewhere, though.

The scammers are a business with metrics and goals and call-center staffing after all,

Don't forget office space.

MrHoffman wrote:

Purportedly, that’s deliberate, as it filters out the folks that would otherwise waste the scammers’ time and resources.

That is frighteningly clever.