{"id":29155,"date":"2015-03-12T13:40:19","date_gmt":"2015-03-12T18:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=29155"},"modified":"2015-03-16T09:22:46","modified_gmt":"2015-03-16T14:22:46","slug":"beware-of-browser-pop-up-tech-support-phishing-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/29155-beware-of-browser-pop-up-tech-support-phishing-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware of Browser Pop-Up Tech Support, Phishing Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scams are nothing new on the Internet. But one that has become more prevalent recently is the \u201cpop-up tech support\u201d scam. For example, while browsing the Internet, a user sees a pop-up or a page that warns that their Mac might be infected or malware might be installed on it. The pop-up will include a toll-free number to call for immediate \u201cApple\u201d support tech help or something similar.<\/p>\n

I recently heard a father report a worst-case scenario. His daughter, who is away at college, had fallen for one of these scams, and she called the number for \u201csupport\u201d and gave them her debit card to pay for the \u201cfix\u201d. She followed instructions to download and install a third party remote access utility to allow them to \u201cfix\u201d the problem on her Mac. (Hopefully she had a backup from before the support company\u2019s \u201cfix\u201d, as an erase and reinstall of the OS should be done in cases like this. Yet another reason to have backups of your data<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"Pop-up_Scam\"<\/p>\n

Of course users should never call any of these \u201csupport services\u201d. If you see an instance of this, force quit the browser and if you\u2019re using Safari, re-launch with the shift key held down and disable any extensions, remove website data\/cookies and verify homepage settings. If you do fall victim to this, you should also change your passwords, notify your bank, cancel any used debit or credit card and monitor your accounts, etc.<\/p>\n

And always avoid installing any software\/add-ons from any where other than the developers\u2019 website as sometimes general \u201csoftware download\u201d sites may include adware or \u2013 even worse \u2013 installer packages for other software.<\/p>\n

For users of older OS X versions (10.6.x, for example), Safari hasn\u2019t been updated, therefore other browsers like Firefox should be considered as they\u2019re updated frequently. But regardless of browser, you still should avoid installing software\/add-ons from untrusted sources. And be aware that even some \u201ctrusted\u201d sources such as\u00a0Java have been reported in the past to have included bundled browser add-ons\/toolbars<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you suspect you have adware\/malware installed (search engine settings changed, pop-ups and redirects occurring, etc.), here are some resources to help you remove it. And it\u2019s worth reading regardless of whether you have the suspicion.<\/p>\n