How To Remove Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam Adware From Mac PC

Tips To Delete Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam Virus From System

Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam is a social engineering tactic triggered by vicious hackers in order to trick novice users into making monetary transactions. In this scam, criminals target Apple users and thank them to be a user of the company’s device for a long time. It claims that people can win iPhone 11 pro by completing a short survey and paying a small fee. We highly advise to ignore these fake messages and never transfer money to any suspicious account as this is just a tactic of Cyber actors to swindle revenues from the users.

More About Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam:

Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam is generally executed when users visit malicious websites intentionally or unintentionally. Most often, you are redirected to such deceptive sites by an adware or PUP which is already installed on your computer. This potentially unwanted program silently infiltrates your device without any earlier notification and then makes too many unwanted changes in default browser’s settings. It replaces the current home page, search engine and new tab address with another perilous URL and acquires full control over the entire browser. It also displays commercial contents and other forms of advertisements and redirects users to affiliated websites where numerous sponsored products and services are promoted.

Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam virus also redirects you to phishing, scamming or even malware-laden sites that are filled with malevolent contents and cause more hazards to your system. It eats up huge amount of memory resources and drags down the overall PC performance severely. Due to this, machine starts responding slower than ever before and takes more than usual time to complete any task. This nasty adware monitors your Online activities and collects important data regarding your interests and needs. The gathered information is then utilized by the advertisers for generating and displaying eye-catching advertisements in order to get as many hits on tem as possible and earn maximum profits by pay-per-click mechanism.

Text Presented In The Scam’s Content:

Apple Rewards Program

(1) iPhone 11 pro is pending

11 June 2020

Thank you for using Apple for a long time!

Every Thursday we randomly select few users by system to do a short online survey. It includes 9 simple questions that can be finished within 30s or less. In this way, we can know our users better and improve our services.

Thank you for your time, we will offer you an opportunity to get a brand new iPhone 11 pro by paying only RM5 after finishing the survey.

Attention: 18 randomly selected users who received this invitation today. Only 2 rewards left.

You have 2 minutes and 18 seconds to answer the 9 questions. Hurry up & good luck!

Precarious Marketing Tactics Are Used For Adware Delivery:

According to experts, such types of PUPs are mostly spread through a deceptive method called “bundling”. The developers attack vicious product into an entire package of free software that can be downloaded from secondary sources such as download.com, softonic.com, cnet.com etc. As soon as you install a freeware program using “Quick” or “Recommended” configuration setting, there is huge possibility that the hidden infectious tool would also get installed in the device along with the main software. Ad-supporting malware can be also delivered via malevolent ads and hyperlinks, harmful websites, infected removal drives and several update notifications.

How To Prevent The PUP Intrusion:

If you want to protect your device from the attack of Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam virus or other similar parasites, your need to change your downloading configuration to “Custom” or “Advanced”. Here you can take full control over the incoming downloads and you will be able to untick the checkboxes of those tools that you want to have on your system. Furthermore, in order to complete the full downloading and installing process by yourself, you need to complete every step properly, without skipping any. Additionally, you should be very cautious of infectious content while surfing the web as it can easily deceive you into downloading a fake update or clicking on a spiteful material.

Summarize Information

Name: Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam

Type: Mac virus, Adware, Potentially unwanted program

Functionality: Claims users can win iPhone 11 pro by completing a survey and tries to swindle their money, Also steal users’ personal and confidential information and share them with hackers for evil purposes.

Symptoms: Fake pop-up messages, Modified default browser’s settings, Endless intrusive ads, default Internet search engine, identity theft, new tab settings. Users are enforced to visit hijacker’s website and search the Internet using their search engines, slowness of infected system’s performance.

Distribution methods: Free software installers (bundling), Deceptive emails, malicious pop-ups ads, fake flash player installers.

Damage: Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.

Removal: To get rid of this infection and other malware threats, our security researchers recommend scanning your computer with a powerful anti-malware tool.

Other Malevolent Acts of Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam:

Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam virus can also steal your personal details relating to banking and other financial info and expose them Cyber criminals from bad intentions. Hackers can misuse your sensitive information for generating illicit revenues and cause you to suffer a big financial loss. In order to get automatically activated every time the machine is started, this notorious PUP makes spiteful entries in boot section and alters its default settings. It messes with vital system files which assure efficient computer functioning and prevents many running apps as well as drivers from working normally. And hence, to prevent all these hazards from being occurred, you must remove Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam virus from the work-station quickly.

Remove Files and Folders Related to Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam

Open the “Menu” bar and click the “Finder” icon. Select “Go” and click on “Go to Folder…”

Step 1: Search the suspicious and doubtful malware generated files in /Library/LaunchAgents folder

Type /Library/LaunchAgents in the “Go to Folder” option

In the “Launch Agent” folder, search for all the files that you have recently downloaded and move them to “Trash”. Few of the examples of files created by browser-hijacker or adware are as follow, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.Itvbit.plist”, installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, and “kuklorest.update.plist” and so on.

Step 2: Detect and remove the files generated by the adware in “/Library/Application” Support folder

In the “Go to Folder..bar”, type “/Library/Application Support”

Search for any suspicious newly added folders in “Application Support” folder. If you detect any one of these like “NicePlayer” or “MPlayerX” then send them to “Trash” folder.

Step 3: Look for the files generated by malware in /Library/LaunchAgent Folder:

Go to Folder bar and type /Library/LaunchAgents

You are in the “LaunchAgents” folder. Here, you have to search for all the newly added files and move them to “Trash” if you find them suspicious. Some of the examples of suspicious files generated by malware are “myppes.download.plist”, “installmac.AppRemoved.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist” and so on.

Step4: Go to /Library/LaunchDaemons Folder and search for the files created by malware

Type /Library/LaunchDaemons in the “Go To Folder” option

In the newly opened “LaunchDaemons” folder, search for any recently added suspicious files and move them to “Trash”. Examples of some of the suspicious files are “com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preference.plist”, “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist” and so on.

Step 5: Use Combo Cleaner Anti-Malware and Scan your Mac PC

The malware infections could be removed from the Mac PC if you execute all the steps mentioned above in the correct way. However, it is always advised to be sure that your PC is not infected. It is suggested to scan the work-station with “Combo Cleaner Anti-virus”.

Once the file gets downloaded, double click on combocleaner.dmg installer in the newly opened window. Next is to open the “Launchpad” and press on “Combo Cleaner” icon. It is advised to wait until “Combo Cleaner” updates the latest definition for malware detection. Click on “Start Combo Scan” button.

A depth scan of your Mac PC will be executed in order to detect malware. If the Anti-virus scan report says “no threat found” then you can continue with guide further. On the other hand, it is recommended to delete the detected malware infection before continuing.

Now the files and folders created by the adware is removed, you have to remove the rogue extensions from the browsers.

Remove Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam from Internet Browsers

Delete Doubtful and Malicious Extension from Safari

Go to “Menu Bar” and open “Safari” browser. Select “Safari” and then “Preferences”

In the opened “preferences” window, select “Extensions” that you have recently installed. All such extensions should be detected and click the “Uninstall” button next to it. If you are doubtful then you can remove all the extensions from “Safari” browser as none of them are important for smooth functionality of the browser.

In case if you continue facing unwanted webpage redirections or aggressive advertisements bombarding, you can reset the “Safari” browser.

“Reset Safari”

Open the Safari menu and choose “preferences…” from the drop-down menu.

Go to the “Extension” tab and set the extension slider to “Off” position. This disables all the installed extensions in the Safari browser

Next step is to check the homepage. Go to “Preferences…” option and choose “General” tab. Change the homepage to your preferred URL.

Also check the default search-engine provider settings. Go to “Preferences…” window and select the “Search” tab and select the search-engine provider that you want such as “Google”.

Next is to clear the Safari browser Cache- Go to “Preferences…” window and select “Advanced” tab and click on “Show develop menu in the menu bar.“

Go to “Develop” menu and select “Empty Caches”.

Remove website data and browsing history. Go to “Safari” menu and select “Clear History and Website Data”. Choose “all history” and then click on “Clear History”.

Remove Unwanted and Malicious Plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox

Delete Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam add-ons from Mozilla Firefox

Open the Firefox Mozilla browser. Click on the “Open Menu” present in the top right corner of the screen. From the newly opened menu, choose “Add-ons”.

Go to “Extension” option and detect all the latest installed add-ons. Select each of the suspicious add-ons and click on “Remove” button next to them.

In case if you want to “reset” the Mozilla Firefox browser then follow the steps that has been mentioned below.

Reset Mozilla Firefox Settings

Open the Firefox Mozilla browser and click on “Firefox” button situated at the top left corner of the screen.

In the new menu, go to “Help” sub-menu and choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the “Troubleshooting Information” page, click on “Reset Firefox” button.

Confirm that you want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to default by pressing on “Reset Firefox” option

The browser will get restarted and the settings changes to factory default

Delete Unwanted and Malicious Extensions from Google Chrome

Open the chrome browser and click on “Chrome menu”. From the drop down option, choose “More Tools” and then “Extensions”.

In the “Extensions” option, search for all the recently installed add-ons and extensions. Select them and choose “Trash” button. Any third-party extension is not important for the smooth functionality of the browser.

Reset Google Chrome Settings

Open the browser and click on three line bar at the top right side corner of the window.

Go to the bottom of the newly opened window and select “Show advanced settings”.

In the newly opened window, scroll down to the bottom and choose “Reset browser settings”

Click on the “Reset” button on the opened “Reset browser settings” window

Restart the browser and the changes you get will be applied

The above mentioned manual process should be executed as it is mentioned. It is a cumbersome process and requires a lot of technical expertise. And hence it is advised for technical experts only. To be sure that your PC is free from malware, it is better that you scan the work-station with a powerful anti-malware tool. The automatic malware removal application is preferred because it doesn’t requires any additional technical skills and expertise.

Download the application and execute it on the PC to begin the depth scanning. Once the scanning gets completed, it shows the list of all the files related to Apple Rewards Program POP-UP Scam. You can select such harmful files and folders and remove them immediately.