safari virus alert scam support.me!!!HELP!!

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Level 1

11 points

safari virus alert scam support.me!!!HELP!!

I got a frozen safari page saying virus detected yesterday and called the number. since I am new to MAC system,( never encounter virus like this) and I need the mac for exam very soon, I am in panic so I call the #fast. A .fluent-speaking English male answered my phone and let me force quit the page and he provided me with a website www.support.me and my macbook is remote access by him. He let me download a thing, and open it. He shew me the firewall is not open on 'webroot' I never heard this anti-virus software before. He opened my notes and wrote some suggestions for me. He said I need to fix the virus as soon as possible and phone charge me 250 on my credit card for it. He suggest me a software cost 600 and told me in apple store this fix thing would cost more money than they provide. I said no I don't want the software. He said you can call the number whenever you feel not happy with it within 30 days full refund. He said the repair will spend 4-6 hours and let me keep my macbook on in the night and change my macbook password. I compromised. After I hung up the phone, I immediately open my windows pc which is very slow so I rarely use it. I search the company and their support.me and webroot. I immediately shut down my PC till I know they are scam!!!! They have 'repair' something on my macbook for about 20 minutes or so.

I called the credit card company immediately and they initialize a fraud case for me. Meanwhile, the scam company keep calling me and leave a message saying we lost connection to your mac ,blabla. I didn't answer any of the three calls. NOW I still worried my PC. 1.My password has been changed. 2. I don't know how to clean what they installed on my macbook. 3. I don't have any important data on my macbook , I am just worried about reinstalling system (Yosemite) and how much will it cost me!! I am afraid to do everything by myself. I decided to visit the nearby max repair store.

WHAT SHOULD I DO TO MY MACBOOK!!! I am internally crying..😢

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Dec 13, 2015 11:20 AM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

362,023 points

Dec 13, 2015 11:24 AM in response to Aprilsarah

You Don’t Have a Virus and Don’t Pay Money to Remove

This is not a virus nor is it pop-up adware. Fortunately, it doesn’t affect anything but the browser, and it can be easily removed.

If it has opened a tab or window, then close the window by pressing COMMAND-W. A large box may pop open. Press the RETURN key which should dismiss the box and close the page.

If the above does not work then try the following:

1. Select Safari preferences. Click on the Security icon in the toolbar.

2. Locate the checkbox labeled, Enable JavaScript, and uncheck the box. Do not

close the preferences dialog.

3. Close the bad window or tab.

4. Re-check the JavaScript box and close the preferences dialog.

If the Preferences menuitem is inactive then quit or force quit Safari. Run Safari by holding down the SHIFT key while clicking Safari’s Dock icon. Select Safari preferences and click on the Privacy icon in the toolbar. At the top is a dropdown menu labeled, “Cookies and other website date.” Click on the Remove All Website Data… button.

Check your Downloads folder for anything you don’t recognize or remember downloading and delete it.

Remove Browser Pop-up Problems

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.0.1.7

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

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Answer 2

Courcoul

Level 6

18,732 points

Dec 13, 2015 11:37 AM in response to Kappy

Fanfare, bugles, horns and fireworks!!

Welcome back, Kappy!

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Answer 3

Dec 13, 2015 11:40 AM in response to Aprilsarah

Since you called the number, please see: A Browser Pop-up has Taken Over Safari, and look for the "What if I Called the Number?" section.

(Note that I am affiliated with that site, and some pages contain ads).

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Answer 4

Aprilsarah Author

Level 1

11 points

Dec 13, 2015 11:44 AM in response to stevejobsfan0123

I have read the thread yesterday , problem is they have changed the password. I need to reboot the macbook. I don't know how to do

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Answer 5

Aprilsarah Author

Level 1

11 points

Dec 13, 2015 11:46 AM in response to Kappy

I have shut down mac after their 20 minutes operation on it. I don't think I can turn it on without knowing the password...(they reset my password for the macbook yesterday

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Answer 6

Dec 13, 2015 11:46 AM in response to Aprilsarah

What password? You gave them your Apple ID password, and they changed it? You would need to call Apple's account security team to take care of that. Call 1-800-MY-APPLE and ask to speak to the account security team.

To reboot your Mac, just go to the  menu and click Restart.

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Answer 7

Dec 13, 2015 11:49 AM in response to Aprilsarah

Oh, your Mac's password? So while they had remote access they changed the password? (this is not intended to be critical, but you let them do that?)

If so, erase the hard drive and reload from a backup if you made one.

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Answer 8

Aprilsarah Author

Level 1

11 points

Dec 13, 2015 12:09 PM in response to stevejobsfan0123

Yes I let them change my password. 😟I didn't have a backup. But I don't have anything important on this mac that needed to be recovered. I only need to restore the system. how should I do??

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Answer 9

Aprilsarah Author

Level 1

11 points

Dec 13, 2015 12:11 PM in response to Aprilsarah

The scam phone number is 855-527-1346 they just called me!!!!I hate them!!!!I didn't answer because I was talking with bank

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Answer 10

Dec 13, 2015 12:12 PM in response to Aprilsarah

Instructions for erasing are included in the earlier referenced article:

If you made a Time Machine backup before you called the number, you can restore from that. Otherwise, the only way to be absolutely safe is to erase your hard drive (if you have important data that was not backed up, you can manually save these files to a flash drive, etc. before proceeding). In the Recovery partition, instead of selecting Time Machine, select Disk Utility. When it opens, select Macintosh HD (or whatever your partition is named) from the sidebar. Go to the Erase tab (it is one of the tabs near the top of the window), and click on "Erase" in the bottom right of the window.

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Answer 11

Dec 13, 2015 12:14 PM in response to Aprilsarah

Aprilsarah wrote:

The scam phone number is 855-527-1346 they just called me!!!!I hate them!!!!I didn't answer because I was talking with bank

I would suggest filing a complaint with the FCC here. That's probably the best way to get back at the scammers. Do not answer the phone if they call (well, I guess you could always cuss them out and tell them not to call back...)

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