The following comes from user stevejobsfan0123.
Occasionally, a browser window may pop up with a scam message. Common pop-ups include a message saying the government has seized your computer and you must pay to have it released (often called "Moneypak"), or a phony message saying that your computer has been infected, and you need to call a tech support number (sometimes claiming to be Apple) to get it resolved. First, understand that these pop-ups are not caused by a virus, and your computer has not been affected. This "hijack" is limited to your web browser. Also understand that these messages are scams, so do not pay any money, call the listed number, or provide any personal information. Most of these scammers, if you actually call the number, will ask you to install software giving them remote control over your computer. Do not do this either. This article will outline the solution to dismiss the pop-up.
Quit Safari
Though you will probably have to quit Safari, you can first try closing the tab by pressing Command + W. Sometimes, however, these pop-ups will not go away by attempting to close the tab, nor by clicking "OK" or "Cancel." Furthermore, several menus in the menu bar may become disabled and show in gray, including the option to quit Safari. You will likely have to force quit Safari. To do this, press Command + option + esc, select Safari, and press Force Quit.
Relaunch Safari
If you relaunch Safari, the page will reopen. To prevent this from happening, hold down the 'Shift' key while opening Safari. This will prevent windows from the last time Safari was running from reopening.
This will not work in all cases. The shift key must be held at the right time, and in some cases, even if done correctly, the window reappears. In these circumstances, after force quitting Safari, turn off Wi-Fi or disconnect Ethernet, depending on how you connect to the Internet. Then relaunch Safari normally. It will try to reload the malicious webpage, but without a connection, it won't be able to. Navigate away from that page by entering a different URL, i.e. www.apple.com, and trying to load it. Now you can reconnect to the Internet, and the page you entered will appear rather than the malicious one.
None of this Worked!
If pressing Command + W does not work, and force quitting Safari and restarting the application with the Shift key held down does not get rid of the pop-up you will have to reset Safari. Normally, this can be done by launching Safari, then in the menu bar, going to Safari > Reset Safari. However, most pop-ups of this variety will block access to many of the drop-down menus in the menu bar. You will need to locate a file on the computer and move it to the trash. Make sure you quit Safari first (force quit if necessary).
To start, open Finder. The press Command + Shift + G, or in the menu bar, select Go > Go to Folder. Type the following file path:
~/Library/Preferences
Look for a file named com.apple.Safari.plist, and drag it to the trash. Then restart your Mac. After it reboots, try launching Safari. A new preferences file should have been automatically created, so no more action is required on your part, and the pop-up should now be gone.
The Source of the Scam
In addition to the FBI scam, there are a few webpages with bogus technical support pop-ups or "security alerts," claiming you have a virus as described earlier. These webpages include but are not limited to:
- macsecurityissue.com
- helpmetek.com
- applesecurityalert.com
- websternal.net
- newsalert.report-o.com
- mac-system-alerts.com
- geek-techies.com
- system-connect.com
- instants-pc-fix.com
- flasherrordetector.websiteviruscleaner.com
- safaricontact-help.com
- system-logs.info
- customer-help.in
