Dear Safari User Pop-up Scam
“Beware of the ‘Dear Safari User’ scam, a widespread pop-up scheme that primarily targets Mac users browsing with the Safari web browser. This fraudulent message falsely offers exclusive rewards for taking an online survey or quiz, enticing users to reveal sensitive information, call a fake tech support number, or download malicious apps. This scam poses serious security and privacy risks.
To protect your system, follow our removal guide to eliminate any potential unwanted programs triggering these pop-ups. Ensure your system remains clean and secure by running an anti-malware program.
Threat Summary
| Name | Dear Safari User Scam |
| Type | Pop-up Scam on Mac |
| Removal Time | less than 15 Minutes |
| Removal Tool |
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Dear Safari User Mac Scam in Detail
One of the campaigns of this nasty scam is registered to use different sub-domains of the website vip.licky-gift-center.com In fact, this shady website was registered to be pushing various types of scam messages on Mac operating systems and our team reported about it in January this year.
Sites that share similar names to Apple are another approach of fraudsters to deliver the Dear Safari user scam on Mac. However, they are known to be making the use of numerous methods. These fake sites may be shared on popular social media platforms, presented in spam emails, or pushed by potentially unwanted programs (adware, browser hijacker).
Apparently, fraudsters know that browsers like Safari and Chrome take a large percent of the global market share as their scam campaigns target primarily these two browsers.
The scam claims that today you are the chosen to participate in a survey with gifts. The promised rewards may vary from gift cards for Walmart or Amazon to latest iPhone model.
Here you can read the message generated by Dear Safari User, You Are Today’s Lucky Visitor scam:
Dear Safari user,
You are today’s lucky visitor for: Date (Location)
You’ve been personally selected to take part in our 2019 Annual Visitor Survey! Tell us what you think of Safari and to say “Thank You” you’ll receive a chance to get an $1,000 Gift Card, IPhone X and other amazing deals!
All you need to do is to answer the folowing 4 questions to begin. Good luck!
Another variant of Dear Safari User, You Are Today’s Lucky Visitor pop-up scam:
Other scams similar to Dear Safari user are the so-called Your Mac Might Be Infected and the We Detected Unwanted Pop-Ups on Your Mac.
All these scams endanger the overall security of your operating system, your online security and your privacy. That’s why you should practice caution and avoid falling victim to fraudsters. While browsing the web do always think twice whether it is a good idea to download this or that app or not; whether to click on that link or not; whether to fill in sensitive credentials required by questionable sites and forms or not. This way you can limit the chances of being attacked by cybercriminals, prevent your machine from being infected with malware and keep personal/banking details private.
As regards the programs that are associated with the delivery of scam messages, they tend to track what you do online by spying on the following activities:
- Your browsing history.
- Searches you make.
- Banners you click on.
- Sites you visit often.
This monitoring is usually done as a result of multiple different tracking technologies being active on your web browser. These technologies could be the following:
- >Cookies.
- Pixels.
- Tags.
- Geo-locators.
The main result of these programs being active on your Mac is that they may redirect you to websites, like the Dear Safari User scam or even worse to corrupted websites that deliver malicious software directly on your system. For the sake of your online security, you have to scan your macOS for any present harmful files and remove them as soon as possible. You can use the guide below to restore the affected browser as well.
Remove Dear Safari User, You Are Today’s Lucky Visitor Pop-up Scam
If you want to remove the Dear Safari User pop-up scam, you are welcome to follow the removal instructions down below. They are made to help you find and delete potentially harmful files associated with this scam from your Mac. To stop seeing redirecting pages with scams like Dear Safari User, we would suggest that you use a professional anti-malware software. The program aims to scan for and delete all malicious files and redirect-causing objects from your Mac operating system and also ensure that the system remains protected against intrusive apps in the future.
Gergana Ivanova
Highly motivated writer with 5+ years of experience writing for ransomware, malware, adware, PUPs, and other cybersecurity-related issues. As a writer, I strive to create content that is based on thorough technical research. I find joy in the process of creating articles that are easy to understand, informative, and useful. Follow me on Twitter (@IRGergana) for the latest in the field of computer, mobile, and online security.
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Steps to Prepare Before Removal:
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.
- 1. Scan for Mac Malware
- 2. Uninstall Risky Apps
- 3. Clean Your Browsers
Step 1: Scan for and remove Dear Safari User Scam files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Dear Safari User 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.
Quick and Easy Mac Malware Video Removal Guide
Bonus Step: How to Make Your Mac Run Faster?
Mac machines maintain probably the fastest operating system out there. Still, Macs do become slow and sluggish sometimes. The video guide below examines all of the possible problems that may lead to your Mac being slower than usual as well as all of the steps that can help you to speed up your Mac.
Step 2: Uninstall Dear Safari User 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:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Dear Safari User Scam:
4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Dear Safari User Scam. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.
6. Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Dear Safari User Scam. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7. Remove any leftover files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- 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 Dear Safari User 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:
1. Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2. Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3. Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Dear Safari User Scam. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
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 3: Remove Dear Safari User Scam – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
Dear Safari User Scam-FAQ
What is Dear Safari User Scam on your Mac?
The Dear Safari User 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 significantly and display advertisements. They could also use cookies and other trackers to obtain browsing information from the installed web browsers on your Mac.
Can Macs Get Viruses?
Yes. As much as any other device, Apple computers do get malware. Apple devices may not be a frequent target by malware authors, but rest assured that almost all of the Apple devices can become infected with a threat.
What Types of Mac Threats Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the types of threats that can currently infect your Mac can be rogue antivirus programs, adware or hijackers (PUPs), Trojan horses, ransomware and crypto-miner malware.
What To Do If I Have a Mac Virus, Like Dear Safari User Scam?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most Mac threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them. One recommended 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. This saves time for manual removal that you would otherwise have to do.
How to Secure My Data from Dear Safari User 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 MacOS Virus section, where you can also ask any questions and comment about your Mac problems.
About the Dear Safari User Scam Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Dear Safari User Scam how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific macOS issue.
How did we conduct the research on Dear Safari User Scam?
Please note that our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware definitions, including the various types of Mac threats, especially adware and potentially unwanted apps (PUAs).
Furthermore, the research behind the Dear Safari User Scam threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by Mac malware, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.