How to Remove “Your Mac is infected with 3 viruses”

Do you see a popup message saying your Mac is infected with viruses? This popup message may appear in your browser (Safari or Chrome etc). Specifically, this popup message that says:

Your system is infected with 3 viruses! Our security check found traces of 2 malware and 1 spyware/phishing. System damage: 28.1%. Immediate removal required.

The immediate removal of the viruses is required to prevent further system damage, loss of Apps, Photos or other files. Traces of 1 phishing/spyware were found on your Mac with OSX.

Personal and banking information are at risk.

To avoid more damage click on “Scan Now” immediately. Our deep scan will provide help immediately!

1 minute and 29 seconds remaining before damage is permanent. (SCAN NOW)

Here is another version of this scam that you might encounter:

Your Mojave is infected with (3) viruses!

Your Mojave is infected with (3) viruses. Our security check found traces of 2 malware and 1 phishing/spyware. System damage: 28.1% – Immediate removal required!

The immediate removal of the viruses is required to prevent further system damage, loss of Apps, Photos or other files. Traces of 1 phishing/spyware were found on your Mojave with.

Personal and banking information are at risk.

To avoid more damage click on ‘Scan Now’ immediately. Our deep scan will provide help immediately!

4 minutes and seconds 52 remaining before damage is permanent.

The message you see may be slightly different than this. The message may also tell you to call a 1-800 number. The message even has the Apple Care logo to trick you into believing that the message is an official Apple warning message.

What Is “Your Mac is infected with 3 viruses” Error?

Your Mac is infected with 3 viruses” error is a typical tech support scam . The message could be displayed by various bogus websites. The page that appears when a browser is affected by this scam looks exactly like a legitimate website. This scam message is usually caused by adware installed on your computer.

In this case, your browsing activities could be totally interrupted by endless redirects to suspicious websites as well. It is also possible that the pop-up will prevent you from getting off your browser.

This is a tech support scam. The alert is not coming from Apple or Apple Care. Do not call the number or do not click Scan Now. You should not interact with pop-ups or web pages that seem to take over your screen. These web sites and messages are designed to steal your personal information. Just ignore everything that the message says.

This notification is an attempt to scare you that your Mac’s security and privacy are endangered by active malware on the system. Actually, scammers are trying to scare you into downloading a rogue system cleaner and eventually purchase its license to use its removal feature. They could ask you to call a toll free number to receive personal technical support.

If you call the scammers, they can trick into allowing them to take control of your computer and collect sensitive data such as online banking credentials and other personal information. Then they can misuse the gained information by selling it to other cybercriminals or performing malicious activities themselves.

Since this scam is using various pop-ups and different domains to display its fake warning messages and phone numbers, we recommend that you should treat all suspicious pop-ups and redirects with skepticism. Otherwise, you risk becoming a victim of serious malware infections. Be scam smart.

How Did Mac Get “Your Mac is infected with 3 viruses” Message?

This malware can reach your browser and PC via potentially unwanted adware programs that come bundled with other free software you download from the Internet. You can prevent this from happening by checking for the Advanced or Custom option in the installation setup of each freeware you install.

Clicking on advertisements, banners, pop-ups and browsing through unknown websites are also among the possible ways for this malware to reach your system.

What to Do About “Your Mac is infected with 3 viruses” Scam Message

To remove the Your System Is Infected With (3) Viruses tech support scam and its related files manually from your PC, follow the step-by-step removal instructions provided below. If the manual removal guide does not get rid of the scam and its redirects completely, you should search for and remove any leftover items with an advanced cleaner, such as Mac repair app.

What you should do when you encounter this scam message is to quit your browser. Here is how:

1. Force Quit from the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen. Or you may press Option, Command, and Escape together.
2. Select Safari (or Chrome) in the Force Quit window.
3. Click Force Quit.
4. Now press and hold the Shift key while reopening the Safari app. Doing so will tell Safari not to load any sites from the last session.

If you are using Safari, make sure to turn on security settings using the steps below:

1. In the Safari app, click Safari (Safari menu bar).
2. Click Preferences.
3. Click on the Security tab.
4. And then select the Warn when visiting a fraudulent website box.

When you check this setting, Safari will warn you when you are visiting a phishing website.

Furthermore, you may want to remove stored cookies and other data on your Mac. Here is how:

1. In safari, go to Safari > Preferences > Privacy.
2. Click Manage Website Data.
3. Wait a few seconds for web site data to load.
4. Click Remove All.

If the steps above do not work, disconnect your Mac from the Internet, and delete cookies and other data and reconnect to the Internet.

You may also want to check your Safari extensions. Remove any extension that you do not recognize. Here is how:

1. In Safari, click Safari.
2. Click Preferences.
3. Click Extensions.

If you see an extension you do not know, click the Uninstall button for that extension.

Tips to Avoid Getting the “Your Mac is infected with 3 viruses” Scam

• Enable and properly configure your Firewall.
• Install and maintain reliable anti-malware software.
• Secure your web browser.
• Check regularly for available software updates and apply them.
• Disable macros in Office documents.
• Use strong passwords.
• Don’t open attachments or click on links unless you’re certain they’re safe.
• Backup regularly your data.