The Internet contains dozens of threats in the form of malware, and contrary to what you might think, getting our machines infected is only a click or download away in most cases.
Reportedly, many Apple users have been lately getting pop-ups saying Pornographic Virus Alert From Apple, which can be extremely frustrating.
What is Pornographic Virus Alert from Apple? Are these alerts real? And how to remove Pornographic Virus Alert on Mac? Read on to find out the answers to these questions.
What is Pornographic Virus Alert from Apple?
“Pornographic Virus Alert From Apple” or “Virus Alert from Apple” are pop-ups that you might see on your screen while browsing the internet on a Mac. These alerts are designed to mislead users into believing that their device is under attack and requires immediate attention.
As one can guess from the name, “Pornographic Virus Alert from Apple”, pop-ups indicated that your Mac is infected by malware injected when browsing a porn website. However, this isn’t true at all. The pornographic alert is a phishing scam.
Using this alert, scammers try to con Apple users by making it look like an Apple alert. This social engineering trick is designed to shame people and intimidate them into complying with the cybercriminal’s demand.
This activity is usually linked to propagating a duplicate anti-virus tool or promoting a costly technical support service. Scammers also provide a fake Apple support phone number to resolve the issue, which redirects your call to them.
The alert often locks the browser you are using, and if you do not know how to force quit it, you might call the scammers for support.
Also read: 9 common types of Malware explained
Are these alerts real or fake?
These alerts are completely fake and a scam. You did not do anything wrong or illegal. The alert is designed to scare you and extract money by proposing support services or an anti-virus pack.
Pornographic virus alerts pop-up from rogue online advertisements. Scammers use JavaScript to hijack the browser while the person is generally surfing online. This locks the page, and the person might think there is no way out but to call on the fake support number provided by the scammers in disguise of Apple support.
However, there are certain ways you can easily remove the pornographic virus alert on Mac. Read on to know how you can prevent pornographic virus alert from Apple.
How to remove Pornographic Virus alert on Mac?
Fortunately, removing pornographic virus alert is quite an easy task. Here are three methods you can try to clean your device.
Force close your browser
The easiest way to get rid of the pornographic virus alert from Apple is to close the browser instantly, irrespective of the browser.
To quit Safari and Firefox, press Command + Q. When you will re-open the browser, the virus alert will be gone.
Alternatively, you can force-quit the app instead. Press these three keys together- Option + Command + Esc or click on the Apple menu located on the top-left corner of the screen and select Force Quit.
Select the browser you’re using and then confirm by clicking on the Force Quit button.
However, this method may not work if your browser is set to open the last session when it starts automatically. In that case, it may again reload the alert page. You will have to change the browser settings by pressing Command + Comma to open preferences.
Look for the On Startup or Safari Opens With option. Disable the automatically open the last session or continue where you left off options.
Also read: How to fix ‘Antimalware Service Executable High Memory Usage’ issue?
Check for unwanted softwares on your Mac
Pornographic virus alert from Apple come from rogue online advertisement; however, it is not a bad idea to check for unwanted software, browser extension or plugin that you may have unknowingly installed.
Using Finder
Go to the Applications folder by clicking on Finder, then check for the recently installed software that may not recognise or software that you may not need anymore. Uninstall any such software to clean your machine from malware.
Alternatively, check for a recently installed extension on your browser.
Safari
For Safari, press Command + Comma to open preferences. Then select Extensions to review recently installed extensions that may have caused the problem.
Chrome
For Chrome, click on the three-dot menu, then choose More Tools. Select Extensions, then review and remove unnecessary extensions installed in your browser.
Scan your Mac for malware
Even though the pornographic virus alert from Apple is not real and is made up to extract money from unaware internet users, it is still a good idea to check your device for any malware threat by scanning it using one of the more reputable anti-virus or anti-malware app.
Also read: How to remove Pornographic Virus Alert from Microsoft?
