How to remove “APPLE SECURITY BREACH” pop-up scam

What is “APPLE SECURITY BREACH” pop-up scam

APPLE SECURITY BREACH pop-up scam is a deceptive tactic used by cybercriminals to trick unsuspecting Mac users into believing their devices are compromised. This malicious pop-up appears as a fake security alert, claiming that the user’s security system has crashed and urging them to contact supposed Apple Technical Support for assistance. Typically, the scammers use a toll-free number to lure victims into calling, where they often solicit personal information or even remote access to the victim’s computer. Once granted access, these criminals may install malware, change system settings, or attempt to extort money under false pretenses. The appearance of such pop-ups can lead to significant negative consequences, including identity theft, financial loss, and the installation of additional malicious software. Users may also find their browsing experience severely affected, as unwanted advertisements and redirects become commonplace. It’s crucial to recognize these scams and avoid engaging with them, as ignoring or reporting them can help mitigate the threat posed by such fraudulent activities.

Why do I see “APPLE SECURITY BREACH” pop-up continuously?

The “APPLE SECURITY BREACH” pop-up in browsers on Mac devices is a deceptive scam designed to exploit users’ fears about their device security. This fake alert typically appears due to the presence of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that may have infiltrated the system through bundled software installations, misleading ads, or compromised websites. Once a user lands on a malicious site, the scam employs alarming messages and fake technical support numbers to trick individuals into seeking help from cybercriminals. These scammers aim to extract personal information, install unwanted software, or charge fees for unnecessary technical support. It’s important to recognize that this type of pop-up is not a legitimate warning from Apple but a tactic used by fraudsters to generate revenue at the expense of uninformed users. To mitigate such threats, maintaining updated antivirus software and exercising caution when downloading software or clicking on ads is essential.

Remove “APPLE SECURITY BREACH” pop-up manually for free

Remove suspicious applications from MacOS

To start removing “APPLE SECURITY BREACH” pop-up you should uninstall unwanted programs from Applications in MacOS. Malware can be present by different names. It should uninstall correctly, however, we recommend you to use CleanMyMac to clean leftover items after uninstalling. Here are instructions for Mac.

Remove suspicious applications from Mac:

1. In the Finder sidebar, click Applications.
2. Find unknown or suspicious applications.
3. Drag icons of suspicious applications from the Applications folder to the Trash (located at the end of the Dock).
4. Then choose Finder > Empty Trash.

Cannot uninstall apps related to “APPLE SECURITY BREACH” in MacOS

If you can’t uninstall suspicious apps from MacOS using instructions above, or it keeps coming back, you can use free AppCleaner for Mac to remove all residual data and libraries. Follow instructions below:

1. Download free AppCleaner.
2. Drag suspicious applications from Applications folder to AppCleaner window.
3. Choose files and folders you want to remove along with suspicious applications.
4. Click Delete button.

Disable push notifications from suspicious websites in browsers in MacOS

Remove suspicious websites, allowed to show push-notifications in Safari

1. Open Safari, and in the top menu click Safari, choose Preferences.
2. In the Preferences window, click on Websites tab.
3. On the left side, choose Notifications. You will see the list of websites and their settings for showing notifications.
4. Find suspicious ones in the list and click Remove button.

Remove suspicious websites, allowed to show push-notifications in Google Chrome

1. Go to Google Chrome settings, by clicking 3-dots icon in the top-right corner and choosing Settings.
2. On the left side choose Privacy and security menu.
3. Under opened Privacy and security tab, choose Site Settings.
4. Scroll down to Permissions section and click on Notifications (with the bell icon).
5. Go to the bottom list of sites named Allowed to send notifications.
6. Find suspicious ones in the list and click 3-dots icon near it. Click Remove button to delete the website permission.

Remove suspicious websites, allowed to show push-notifications in Mozilla Firefox

1. Go to Mozilla Firefox options, by clicking 3-bars icon in the top-right corner and choosing Settings.
2. On the left panel choose Privacy & Security menu.
3. Scroll down to Permissions section.
4. Near Notifications click Settings… button.
5. Find suspicious ones in the list and click Remove Website to remove it.
6. Click Save Changes button to confirm the action.

Remove malicious add-ons from your browsers

Uninstalling apps related to “APPLE SECURITY BREACH” from Applications often does not bring the desired effect. It sometimes has a browser extension and it may still be active in Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. Here are instructions on how to remove “”APPLE SECURITY BREACH related extensions from your browsers manually.

Safari:

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Click Extensions tab.
3. Find suspicious extension.
4. Click Uninstall button to remove it.

Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://extensions.
3. Find suspicious or unwanted extension.
4. Click the Remove button to remove them.
5. Also remove other suspicious extensions from the list.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:addons.
3. Find suspicious or unwanted extension.
4. Click three-dots icon near it and choose Remove in the menu.
5. In opened dialog window click Remove button to confirm the action.
6. Remove all suspicious extensions from the list.

How to block ads and pop-ups, like “APPLE SECURITY BREACH”

AdGuard main window

AdGuard general settings

AdGuard browser assistant

Malicious push-notifications, in most cases, are caused by a program installed on your PC or an add-on installed in browsers. However, sometimes it can appear on a clean computer when visiting a malicious website, using an advertising script. Also, apps that generate “APPLE SECURITY BREACH” pop-up are themselves installed from other pop-ups. To protect your Mac and browsers from phishing websites, pop-up ads, banners, malicious scripts it is recommended to use AdGuard. Download free trial here: