Update August 2019. What is the “Important Alert” pop-up message? How to remove the “We have detected 4 viruses on your Mac” scam message? How to stop the virus causing the “Important Alert” pop-ups?
Users have started to increasingly complain about a browser redirect that leads them to a web page, which says “macOS is being scanned”, shortly after which a pop-up appears. The pop-up aims to explain to victims that their Mac has been compromised by 4 viruses and they must click on OK. When this happens, they could end up either getting infected by an actual virus or downloading dubious software, such as Mac Auto Fixer. Read this article to learn how to remove the “Important Alert” Mac scam effectively from your Mac.
Threat Summary
| Name | "Important Alert" Mac Scam |
| Type | Redirect Scam/Virus for Mac OS |
| Short Description | Aims to trick victims into downloading dubious software that is only after their funds. |
| Symptoms | A redirect may appear locking you out of your web browser with a pop-up, stating “Important Alert” . |
| Distribution Method | Via potentially unwanted software already compromised the Mac and showing redirects or via suspicious sites. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
Download
Combo Cleaner
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss "Important Alert" Mac Scam. |
“Important Alert” Mac Scam – How Did I Get It and What Does It Do?
The “Important Alert” Mac scam may start to appear on your computer as a result of a browser redirect. This redirect could be caused by a potentially unwanted program on your computer, that is likely caused by either you visiting a site that caused it or by having a potentially unwanted program installed on your PC. Such unwanted apps often get slither on your Mac as browser extensions or applications and their main goal is to show a lot of different advertisements on your Mac.
When you visit the page, the first thing you notice is your screen, which starts to appear like the following:
Message from Image:
Important Alert
We have detected 4 viruses on your Mac. Press OK to begin the repair process.
If you encounter this problem on your computer, it is very important to not press OK, since this could eventually lead you to several unsafe sites or the download page for a potentially unwanted program. The outcome of this could be that you might download a dubious software, whose main goal is to begin an automated scan of your Mac and detect hundreds if not thousands of viruses in it. The outcome of this could be that you might wind up paying a lot of money for the licensed version of this fake program to remove detected threats that may not even exist.
Not only this, but if you have an adware that is causing those redirects on your Mac, chances are that you may also see other ads, such as:
- Pop-ups.
- Highlighted text ads.
- Online search results that are ad-supported.
Since such as may lead you to unsafe sites or scam sites, just like the “Important Alert” page, it is stronlgy recommended to remove such unwanted programs.
Remove “Important Alert” Redirects Virus from Mac
In order to get rid of whatever is causing the Important Alert Mac scam, we stronlgy suggest that you follow the removal steps underneath. They have been created with the main idea to help you delete such software step by step. For maximum effectiveness, we strongly advise you to download and run a scan of your computer using a professional malware removal software. Such tool guarantees to detect and remove all detected threats on your Mac and all of their sub-folders and objects to secure your device.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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Preparation Phase:
Before starting to follow the steps below, be advised that you should first do the following preparations:
- Backup your files in case the worst happens.
- Make sure to have a device with these instructions on standy.
- Arm yourself with patience.
Step 1: Uninstall "Important Alert" Mac Scam and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove "Important Alert" Mac Scam via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Remove "Important Alert" Mac Scam – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
Remove an extension from Safari and reset it.
Remove a toolbar from Google Chrome
Remove a toolbar from Mozilla Firefox
Step 3: Scan for and remove "Important Alert" Mac Scam files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as "Important Alert" Mac Scam, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
"Important Alert" Mac Scam FAQ
What is "Important Alert" Mac Scam on your Mac?
The "Important Alert" Mac Scam threat is probably a potentially unwanted app. There is also a chance it could be related to Mac malware. If so, such apps tend to slow your Mac down siginficantly and display advertisements. They could also use cookies and other trackers to obtain browsing information from the installed web browsers on your Mac.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your Mac to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your MacOS.
Can my Mac get a virus?
Yes. As much as any other device, Apple computers do get viruses. Apple devices may not be a frequent target by malware authors, but rest assured that the following Apple devices can become infected with a virus:
- iMac
- Mac Mini
- Macbook Air
- Macbook Pro
- iPhone
- iPad
What are the symptoms of "Important Alert" Mac Scam on your Mac?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also most Mac threats in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your Mac may become slow and has poor performance in general.
Symtpom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Mac's Activity Monitor.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts reccomend that you check your Mac for viruses.
What types of Mac threats are there?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently infect your Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware and hijackers.
- Trojan horses and other spyware.
- Ransomware and screen-lockers.
- Cryptocurrency miner malware.
What to do if I have a Mac virus, like "Important Alert" Mac Scam?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most Mac threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them. One reccomended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you. There are many Mac anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter for Mac is one of the reccomended Mac anti-malware apps, that can scan for free and detect any viruses, tracking cookies and unwanted adware apps plus take care of them quickly. This saves time for manual removal that you would otherwise have to do.
How to secure my passwords and other data from "Important Alert" Mac Scam?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these reccomendations, your network and Apple devices will become significantly more safe against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
More tips you can find on our website, where you can also ask any questions and comment about your Mac problems.
