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Short answer:
These are scams just like an unsolicited phone caller harassing you to buy something you don't want. You don't need to do anything but hang up and forget about it. No other action is necessary, or justified. Your phone cannot become infected simply by an unwanted call, right? Neither can your Mac.
Read Avoid phishing emails, fake 'virus' alerts, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support.
Long answer:
These popular browser scams spontaneously appear as an unexpected popup or unsolicited webpage (examples below; click to enlarge) that allege the detection of 'viruses' or the existence of some unsafe condition that needs to be addressed with great urgency:
Scam Example 1 | Scam Example 2 |
Scam Example 3 | Scam Example 4 |
Scam Example 5 | Scam Example 6 |
These scams can appear on any web browser running on any Mac, PC, or iOS device.
Despite what they say your Mac has not been infected with anything other than a web page that won't go away, which is easy to fix. What gets people into trouble is believing the information that appears, and then taking inappropriate actions.
These scams may appear to be authentic, because they typically include details such as your IP address and a familiar icon of the browser you're using. Some of them include voiceovers or annoying alert sounds. Some of them will spawn multiple tabs or windows by the dozens. It might seem there is no way to close the windows or otherwise dismiss the popups. You might not be able to control Safari, and you can't find a way to quit the app. Even if you were to completely shut down and restart your Mac or your iPhone, the annoying popups might just keep reappearing.
The above screenshots are mere examples. There are thousands of variations of this scam whose exact appearance and wording can take any form. There are also millions of permutations of the 'toll-free' phone numbers they provide, and they can easily originate from the other side of the globe. These scams are easily created, simple to distribute, and new examples appear every day.
A variant of the same scam will cause a webpage to appear accusing you of engaging in some sordid or illegal Internet activity. The page might bear official-looking government or law enforcement seals, say your Mac is infected with some ick, and / or employ technobabble intended either to intimidate you or create an impression of authenticity.
When you can't find a way around this problem — when you can't close the page or even quit the web browser you're using — it might seem that you're stuck and there is no way out. If that describes your situation, read on.
Whatever you do, never call any phone numbers that appear. They will just want payment, usually in multiple hundreds of US dollars. Worse yet, they may attempt to deceive you into granting them remote control of your Mac, conceivably enabling them to install a 'backdoor' granting criminals unfettered ability to harvest any or all the information contained on your Mac, to be used for any conceivable purpose. That's a road you do not want to travel. Never allow anyone to remotely log in to and use a Mac that you own and control.
There are different solutions for Safari on the Mac and Safari on an iPhone or iPad device. Follow the applicable one below. Although the instructions specifically address Safari, they are easily adapted to other web browsers.
Solution (Mac):
Some of these scam popup messages are very easy to dismiss:
If the Leave Page or OK button is not visible because the dialog box extends beyond your display's lower limit, the Return or Enter key should perform the equivalent action.
Either option may result in interrupting the script preventing you from closing the page normally. If it does, you're finished. If not, or you grow tired of that method, continue below.
If that does not immediately fix the problem:
Turn Wi-Fi 'off' | Disconnect Ethernet cable (MacBook Pro) | Disconnect Ethernet cable (iMac) |
No pages will be able to load since you're not connected to the Internet.
After you reconnect to the Internet, you will need to sign in again with all websites that require authentication (such as this one).
Choose an appropriate period to clear from the dropdown menu. That action will ensure you don't inadvertently navigate back to the same problematic web page.
You'll be back in business.
In an abundance of caution, consider the following additional actions. They are not required to eliminate the scam webpage but you should review them to determine certain Safari settings have not been unexpectedly altered.
If you are not sure what to uninstall, uninstall all of them. None are required for normal operation.
For OS X versions prior to Yosemite the equivalent preference is 'Block cookies and other website data' > From third parties and advertisers.
Solution (iOS):
Force Safari to quit by quickly double-clicking the Home button. On that screen, swipe left or right until you find Safari with a preview of the problematic web page. Swipe that image up and away to terminate it:
Force Close (iOS 9 and 10) |
The unresponsive Safari page will be gone, but if you were to launch Safari again it might just reappear. To prevent that from occurring, go to Settings and scroll down a bit until you see Safari. Tap Safari, then tap Clear History and Website Data. Confirm the dialog that appears next, and you'll be back in business. The effect of clearing website data will require you to 'sign in' again to websites that require authentication (such as this one).
References and other resources:
FBI statement: http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/august/new-internet-scam
FTC statement: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-phone-scams
IRS statement: https://www.irs.gov/uac/irs-urges-public-to-stay-alert-for-scam-phone-calls
Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/mmpc/shared/ransomware.aspx
Moneypak: https://www.moneypak.com/ProtectYourMoney.aspx#
Related articles: How to install adware
For ages now, every annual report on desktop operating system market share has had the same top two contenders: Microsoft's Windows in a commanding lead at number one and Apple's macOS in distant second place. But in 2020, Chrome OS became the second-most popular OS, and Apple fell to third.
That's according to numbers from market data firm IDC and a report on IDC's data by publication GeekWire. Chrome OS had passed macOS briefly in individual quarters before, but 2020 was the first full year when Apple's OS took third place.Despite the fact that macOS landed in third, viewing this as an example of Google beating out Apple directly might not be accurate. Rather, it's likely that Chrome OS has been primarily pulling sales and market share away from Windows at the low end of the market. Mac market share actually grew from 6.7 percent in 2019 to 7.5 percent in 2020.
AdvertisementMeanwhile, Chrome OS skyrocketed from 6.4 percent in 2019 to 10.8 percent in 2020. Windows fell from 85.4 percent to 80.5 percent.
The trend looks to be in Google's favor here, but 2020 was far from a normal year. Last month, IDC's report on PC sales showed the first year of consistent growth of traditional PC (desktop, laptop, workstation) sales in years. Even then, IDC indicated that the increase in sales was driven in large part by the expansion of Chromebooks both within and outside of the education market.
As students in many communities have had to attend class virtually from home and their parents have had to do work remotely, too, PC sales jumped during the year. Chrome OS was a big part of that. But the entire market grew overall, not just Chrome OS. IDC also noted that gaming PCs were a big driver of growth, and it was a particularly strong year for the Mac.
As some of the world may find a new kind of post- or late-pandemic normalcy later this year or next year, new sales figures will give a clearer indication of where things will go in the future, not just how they went in 2020. But at least in the education space, the future of Chrome OS looks fairly bright.