Need malware protection for mac?

There is no legitimate "protection plan" except AppleCare, and you would have had to purchase it before your warranty expired. Also, Apple doesn't send out aggressive pop-ups or emails peddling their products.

So, you were right to think it was a scam. See these support articles for tips on spotting phishing attempts and a link to report the one you did get:

"VIRUS" POP-UPS

Identify and report phishing communications - Apple Support

And you can download Malware Bytes which is a product that has been lauded by Apple as well as by people on this forum: Free Antivirus Replacement & Anti-Malware Tool | Malwarebytes

Best,

GB

Yes, it's a scam.

No Anti-Virus software or so-called “cleaning” apps are needed or recommended for Mac OS. They can conflict with Mac's own built-in security. At best they will slow your Mac by using unnecessary resources and at worst will bork your entire system.

When you are redirected to any website, always check the URL. If it's something weird like '198630.host.com' - I just made that up. Close the page. If it says 'We have detected (X) viruses' close the page - your Mac would do that itself plus web browsers can't access the hard drive disk. Something we radio presenters say is: 'If you're not sure, don't do it.' and 'If you THINK it will work, don't do it'. With the right security settings and checking downloads and installs. You should be fine.

Hi,

You can try these ones:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/

Or Google for: best malware protection for mac