What is mac-system-alert.com and how do I get rid of it?

You're welcome! 🙂

Just to note, all AV software on the Mac is virtually useless. There are no actual viruses. Trojans, yes, which you have to install yousefl in some way. About the only thing AV software is good at is slowing your system down.

Kurt, I don't plan to "run" it but nice to have both CCleaner and AdwareMedic installed in case problems arise. Have a GREAT evening and weekend!

Best regareds,

Jack🙂

If you need to use AdwareMedic again, redownload it. The develop keeps updating it.

Kurt

Thanks so much for all the information you have given on problem. Safari prefs were greyed out, so I couldn't go there. Restarting holding down the Shift key worked!. Thanks. Did I get the spam by being on a certain site, so that I shouldn't go there again?

Well, in a sense it's spam, but it's more of a scam. Every time you go to that page, you will get the same results since that's how the page's HTML code is written. It could be intentional by the owner of the site (most likely), or a legitimate site that has been hacked at the server which serves up the site's content, but not yet cleaned up by the actual owner. Nothing was downloaded to your Mac. It was all about hoping you'd fall for it and call the number.

Hi, Kurt!

I'm hoping you're still around to offer assistance on another one of these mac securtiy system scams...I've got one. When I tried to shut it down, it put a banner in front of my browser windows asking me if I was sure I wanted to leave this page, but the YES/NO options are below too far down to access: I can't move it, or get into any system preferences--all safari functions are greyed out. i tried force quitting and restarting with the shift key, with or without the internet cable attached...nothing works. Any ideas?

much appreciated,

johanna

Hi johanna,

Safari's functions are grayed out because it's waiting for you to attend to the popup buttons you can't see. Clicking anywhere on the desktop so Safari is not the foreground app will always allow you to get to the System Preferences. Once there, you can temporarily disable any Wi-Fi Internet connection. Or you can do the brute force method and simply turn your router/modem off for the moment.

Safari also cannot prevent you from forcing it closed no matter what it's displaying. Click anywhere on the desktop. Press Command+Option+Esc. Select Safari in the list and click the Force Quit button. Close the box. Now hold the Shift key down and launch Safari - preferably with any Internet connection disabled. If any scam page is still managing to be persistent, you should now be able to close the tab. With no way to talk to the remote server, it can't come back.

Thank you, Kurt!

I thought i had gone through all those steps, but your level of certainty made me do them again: seems I wasn't holding down the shift key long enough.

Much appreciated,

johanna

You're welcome. 🙂