ashleylauryn

Q: Getting a safari browser pop up with obvious malware message

Getting a Safari browser pop-up saying

http://virussecurityalert.us

Your email has been temporarily suspended due to suspicious activity. Please call Microsoft Help Line at 1-844-261.6418.

with a white screen behind it. I can't close out of it, have to force quit and then it reopens. Once I was able to close it and then a SmartPC checker pop-up showed up. Obviously some sort of malware is on my computer but I Don't know what to do here, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

ughh.tiffughh2.tiff

MacBookAir(13-inch Early2014), OS X Mavericks (10.9.3)

Posted on Oct 28, 2014 1:15 PM

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Q: Getting a safari browser pop up with obvious malware message

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Niel,

    Niel Niel Oct 28, 2014 1:16 PM in response to ashleylauryn
    Level 10 (314,083 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 28, 2014 1:16 PM in response to ashleylauryn

    Relaunch Safari with the Shift key held down. If that doesn't work, disconnect the computer from the Internet.

     

    (115607)

  • by Kappy,Solvedanswer

    Kappy Kappy Oct 28, 2014 1:18 PM in response to ashleylauryn
    Level 10 (271,684 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 28, 2014 1:18 PM in response to ashleylauryn

    This is a scam resulting from your browsing. I suggest you may want to add an ad blocker extension to Safari and also check that you have the pop-up blocked activated in Safari's preferences. For all other such things:

     

    Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems

     

    If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide and AdwareMedic.

     

    Open Safari, select Preferences from the Safari menu. Click on Extensions icon in the toolbar. Disable all Extensions. If this stops your problem, then re-enable them one by one until the problem returns. Now remove that extension as it is causing the problem.

     

    The following comes from user stevejobsfan0123. I have made minor changes to adapt to this presentation.

     

    Fix Some Browser Pop-ups That Take Over Safari.

     

    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. This article will outline the solution to dismiss the pop-up.

     

    Quit Safari

     

    Usually, these pop-ups will not go away by either 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.

    An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's Mac Malware Guide.

    Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read Detecting and avoiding malware and spyware.

    See these Apple articles:

     

      Mac OS X Snow Leopard and malware detection

      OS X Lion- Protect your Mac from malware

      OS X Mountain Lion- Protect your Mac from malware

      OS X Mavericks- Protect your Mac from malware

      About file quarantine in OS X

     

    If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.)

     

    From user Joe Bailey comes this equally useful advice:

     

    The facts are:

     

    1. There is no anti-malware software that can detect 100% of the malware out there.

    2. There is no anti-malware that can detect everything targeting the Mac.

    3. The very best way to prevent the most attacks is for you as the user to be aware that

         the most successful malware attacks rely on very sophisticated social engineering

         techniques preying on human avarice, ****, and fear.

    4. Internet popups saying the FBI, NSA, Microsoft, your ISP has detected malware on

        your computer is intended to entice you to install their malware thinking it is a

        protection against malware.

    5. Some of the anti-malware products on the market are worse than the malware

        from which they purport to protect you.

    6. Be cautious where you go on the internet.

    7. Only download anything from sites you know are safe.

    8. Avoid links you receive in email, always be suspicious even if you get something

        you think is from a friend, but you were not expecting.

    9. If there is any question in your mind, then assume it is malware.

  • by ashleylauryn,

    ashleylauryn ashleylauryn Oct 28, 2014 1:26 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 28, 2014 1:26 PM in response to Kappy

    Thank you very much. I was able to relaunch Safari. I only have one extension that I've had for months so I don't think that would be it. I did click the block pop up in Safari preferences. Is there anything else I should do at this time? Do I need to install the ad blocker extension? Thank you.

  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy Oct 28, 2014 1:44 PM in response to ashleylauryn
    Level 10 (271,684 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 28, 2014 1:44 PM in response to ashleylauryn

    No, you don't need to install an ad blocker, but they can be very helpful. I use one called Safari AdBlock 2.9.4. It is free and works very well in my experience with it.

     

    It also helps to stay away from clicking on links at sites you know little about. Anything out there could be a potential for malware.

  • by ashleylauryn,Helpful

    ashleylauryn ashleylauryn Oct 29, 2014 6:30 AM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2014 6:30 AM in response to Kappy

    Thank you very much for your help!

  • by rk5371,

    rk5371 rk5371 Dec 27, 2014 4:04 PM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 27, 2014 4:04 PM in response to Niel

    Your simple advice did the trick! Thanks!

     

    I’d disabled my pop-up blocker in safari preferences in order to access a financial web page that utilizes pop-ups. I neglected to reset the blocker, and paid the price!