jackster680

Q: Help I might a virus!!!

I got a pop-up that said call this number and then there was an automated woman's voice saying you have a virus. So I restarted my computer and deleted all saved passwords and ran Adwaremedic and it said I have nothing harmful. Am I fine. Can I do anything else to help resolve my problem? Please help, thank you.

MacBook Air

Posted on Jun 17, 2015 1:11 PM

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Q: Help I might a virus!!!

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  • by stedman1,Solvedanswer

    stedman1 stedman1 Jun 17, 2015 1:13 PM in response to jackster680
    Level 9 (74,253 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jun 17, 2015 1:13 PM in response to jackster680

    It is not a virus, but an annoying popup. Never interact with the site, or call any number presented.

    Force quit Safari, then restart Safari while holding the shift key.

  • by jackster680,

    jackster680 jackster680 Jun 17, 2015 1:14 PM in response to stedman1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 17, 2015 1:14 PM in response to stedman1

    When I got the pop up I restarted my computer. Is that okay.?

  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy Jun 17, 2015 1:14 PM in response to jackster680
    Level 10 (271,811 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 17, 2015 1:14 PM in response to jackster680

    Your are OK. For future reference:

     

    Remove Browser Pop-up Problems

     

         AdwareMedic

         Adblock Plus 1.8.9, GlimmerBlocker, or AdBlock

         Remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac

         How to remove the FlashMall adware from OS X

     

    Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems

     

    If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide, remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac, and AdwareMedic. If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.) You might consider adding this Safari extensions: Adblock Plus 1.8.9.

     

    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.

  • by jackster680,

    jackster680 jackster680 Jun 17, 2015 1:16 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 17, 2015 1:16 PM in response to Kappy

    Okay thanks. Yea I ran AdwareMedic and it said I have no problems. Thanks. 

  • by Mbrewerr98,

    Mbrewerr98 Mbrewerr98 Dec 10, 2015 2:14 AM in response to jackster680
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 10, 2015 2:14 AM in response to jackster680

    I had the same problem and was just wondering is it possible that the pop up may have installed a virus onto my MacBook Pro 2015 or can spy on me through some sort of software. Apologies for sounding stupid,

     

    many thanks

  • by Mbrewerr98,

    Mbrewerr98 Mbrewerr98 Dec 10, 2015 2:16 AM in response to Mbrewerr98
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 10, 2015 2:16 AM in response to Mbrewerr98

    I Restarted my macbook and then quit safari and turned the Internet off*