docjim55

Q: Is macbooster ok to use

Just wanted to know if anyone has used macbooster and what they think of it?

iMac

Posted on Apr 3, 2014 10:39 PM

Close

Q: Is macbooster ok to use

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Barry Hemphill,

    Barry Hemphill Barry Hemphill Apr 3, 2014 10:46 PM in response to docjim55
    Level 8 (38,124 points)
    Peripherals
    Apr 3, 2014 10:46 PM in response to docjim55

    Read this and draw your own conclusions:

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/message/23930055#23930055

     

    The experienced posters opinion of it is, to quote, snake oil. I would never use something like that on a Mac.

     

    Barry

  • by pops289,

    pops289 pops289 Sep 24, 2016 3:58 PM in response to docjim55
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 24, 2016 3:58 PM in response to docjim55

    MacBooster may be worse than snake oil.

     

    My wife's Windows machine got locked up (chrome web browser) with a pop-up telling her she had to call some toll-free number (855-396-4925) or risk losing her credit cards, bank accounts, and other personal information. I Googled the phone number, and instead of getting the usual suspects (e.g. whitepages.com), all I got were links to web sites promoting MacBooster for the Mac, and SpyHunter for Windows. It looks like they manipulated the Google search engine to drive traffic to their website in order to catch the wary folks who don't immediately call the number and give the scammers control of their computer.

     

    Why am I convinced the web sites are from the scammers? Because they all contain terrible English, and because NONE of the web sites that I would normally get when searching on a phone number show up in the search. All the  web sites that come up in the phone number search just promote "virus removal tools" that probably are themselves viruses, so my guess is that MacBooster is not something you would want on your computer.

     

    (I alt-tabbed out of chrome, killed chrome on her computer, then watched to see if the pop-up returned. So far it hasn't, and I haven't seen anything in the task list that looks suspicious (yet).)