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Scam Alert: Received an awful beeping message saying "YOUR APPLE COMPUTER HAS BEEN LOCKED" and urging me to call 1-844-443-3868"

Scam Alert: My daughter received a very official looking beeping message while browsing on Google Chrome on her MacBook Pro: "YOUR APPLE COMPUTER HAS BEEN LOCKED. Mac iOS Alert!! System has been infected due to unexpected error! Please Contact Apple Support 1-844-443-3868 immediately! to unlock your computer."

Turns out this is a SCAM. Don't call the number.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Sep 15, 2015 5:30 AM

Reply
6 replies

Sep 15, 2015 10:39 AM in response to DrJode

Use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware: http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php

You can also remove the adware manually using the steps provided by Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987

After that, make sure your default search engine is set to the one you always use. To do so, Open Safari - Preferences - Search.

Go to Safari menu (At the very top right side of your screen next to Apple icon), choose "Quit Safari"

press "Shift" button and while holding this button on your keyboard single click on the Safari icon on your Dock.

Open Safari - Preferences - Privacy - Remove All Website Data.

Also, I believe it would be a good idea to install AdBlock.

Sep 15, 2015 7:03 AM in response to DrJode

Guys,


I think that the problem which has been observed elsewhere (MacBook & MacBook Pro Users FB page) is as much to do with using Google Chrome as anything. Its a big prog with a big secodary prog, it uses loads of battery power, generates lots of heat and seems very inclined to drop adware in uninvited.


Safari 8 (with 10.10) is excellent.


Agreed that Etrecheck and Adwaremedic (latter now renamed Malwarebytes) are equally free, recognised as safe and beneficial.


If it were me and I am happily runnin 2011 and 2014 MBPs 15" - I'd download Etrecheck and Adwaremedic, remove Chrome, run both E and A, take any action recommended and reboot from Recovery. Run Disk Utility from Recovery then reinstall OS X from Recovery partition too. belt and braces!


Colin

Sep 15, 2015 9:10 AM in response to DrJode

Don't use any kind of "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" product on a Mac. There is never a need for it, and relying on it for protection makes you more vulnerable to attack, not less.

This kind of problem is usually not caused by malware. It's a Web scam that only affects the browser, and only temporarily. There are several ways to recover.

1. The easiest thing to do is to force quit the browser. Relaunch it by holding down the shift key and clicking its icon in the Dock, the LaunchPad, or the Applications folder.

You will lose the state of other open tabs and windows. Either Step 2 or Step 3 may enable you to keep that state information. If those steps don't work, fall back to Step 1.

2. Press the key combination command-W to close the tab or window. A huge box will pop up. Press the return key and both the box and the page may close. If that doesn't happen, press and hold command-W. You may hear repeating alert sounds. While holding the keys, click the OK button in the popup. A different popup may appear, which you can cancel out of as usual.

3. From the Safari menu bar, select

Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Security

and uncheck the box marked Enable JavaScript.

After closing the malicious page, select from the menu bar

Safari Preferences... Privacy Remove All Website Data

to get rid of any cookies or other data left by the server. Open the Downloads folder and delete anything you don't recognize.

Scam Alert: Received an awful beeping message saying "YOUR APPLE COMPUTER HAS BEEN LOCKED" and urging me to call 1-844-443-3868"

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