Security Protection Center scam won't stop

In the last few days my ipad and my iphone have had tabs suddenly show up in my browser (firefox), entitled "Security Protection Center". It says there is a security threat, need to fix, etc - all the usual scam stuff. I checked online (on Windows laptop) and confirmed it is a malware. I obviously never clicked on anything on it, just closed the tab. Problem is what to do with it - I've never had malware on an Apple device before this. I cleared history and cache in Firefox, restarted devices repeatedly, checked that there were no new mysterious apps on either device. I haven't been able to tell any consistent time or circumstances in which they appear - just seems that sometimes (not always) when I open firefox there will be a tab or two opened with this on it. Any suggestions how to get rid of it?

iPad Pro, iPadOS 18

Posted on Feb 23, 2025 2:43 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 23, 2025 3:00 PM

The problem that you describe likely being very easy to resolve.


It is highly probable that an inadvertent click on a website link has “subscribed” an additional (unwanted) Calendar to your device - and this unexpected Calendar is exposing unwanted calendar events and sending you unexpected “virus” or other warnings. 


Given that infecting a non-jailbroken iPad/iPhone with actual malware is incredibly difficult, this technique is employed by malicious Actors to fool or encourage you into doing something untoward - more often than not, parting with personal or financial information leading to fraud or attempted extortion.


Let’s check for what’s out of place...

  • iOS/iPadOS 13 and earlier: Settings > Passwords and Accounts
  • iOS/iPadOS 14-17: Settings > Calendar > Accounts
  • iOS/iPadOS 18: Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts


Look for an “account” that shouldn’t be in the list of accounts - as this will likely include the Calendar that contains all the unwanted events. When you find the suspect account, tap - then select Delete Account. This should resolve the problem in its entirety.


I hope you find this helpful in finding the source - and in resolving the issue if an unexpected Calendar is found.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 23, 2025 3:00 PM in response to sg2133

The problem that you describe likely being very easy to resolve.


It is highly probable that an inadvertent click on a website link has “subscribed” an additional (unwanted) Calendar to your device - and this unexpected Calendar is exposing unwanted calendar events and sending you unexpected “virus” or other warnings. 


Given that infecting a non-jailbroken iPad/iPhone with actual malware is incredibly difficult, this technique is employed by malicious Actors to fool or encourage you into doing something untoward - more often than not, parting with personal or financial information leading to fraud or attempted extortion.


Let’s check for what’s out of place...

  • iOS/iPadOS 13 and earlier: Settings > Passwords and Accounts
  • iOS/iPadOS 14-17: Settings > Calendar > Accounts
  • iOS/iPadOS 18: Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts


Look for an “account” that shouldn’t be in the list of accounts - as this will likely include the Calendar that contains all the unwanted events. When you find the suspect account, tap - then select Delete Account. This should resolve the problem in its entirety.


I hope you find this helpful in finding the source - and in resolving the issue if an unexpected Calendar is found.

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Feb 24, 2025 4:04 AM in response to sg2133

You're very welcome.


If the identified account does not correspond to an email address that you use, it is almost certainly the source of the unwanted pop-up messages or reminders.


When viewing email, messages or websites, be careful to verify embedded links before opening them.

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Security Protection Center scam won't stop

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