Avoid being scammed by sites claiming «Your iPhone Has Been Hacked»
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on 27 August 2021 (updated)
What is «Your iPhone Has Been Hacked»?
«Your iPhone Has Been Hacked» is a scam promoted by deceptive websites. As the title implies, the scheme claims that users’ devices have been compromised and were accessed without authorization. «Your iPhone Has Been Hacked» also promotes other scams, which endorse untrusted and possibly malicious software.
Typically, users access these deceptive web pages via redirects caused by intrusive ads or Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) already infiltrated into the system. These apps do not need express user consent to be installed onto their devices.
When a site running this scheme is accessed, it presents visitors with a pop-up window. The text presented in the pop-up, states that the users’ iPhones have been hacked. Therefore, their actions are supposedly being tracked by cyber criminals. The scam informs users that they need to take immediate action.
Once this window is closed, users are presented with various other scams that promote fake anti-virus software, adware, browser hijackers and other PUAs, however, the schemes might also endorse Trojans, ransomware, cryptominers and other malware.
Therefore, trusting «Your iPhone Has Been Hacked» and the scams it promotes can result in system infections, financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. Additionally, note that no website can detect threats present on a device, and any that make such claims are scams.
As well as force-opening deceptive/scam, sale-oriented, rogue, compromised and malicious sites, PUAs can have additional capabilities. They can run intrusive advertisement campaigns. These ads diminish the browsing experience. Furthermore, once clicked, they can redirect to untrusted/malicious websites and some can even stealthily download/install unwanted software.
Other PUAs can hijack browsers by making modifications to their settings and restricting/denying access to them (to promote bogus search engines). The latter are rarely capable of providing search results, and so they redirect to Yahoo, Google, Bing and other legitimate search engines.
Most PUAs can track data. They can monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather personal information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). This vulnerable data is often shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), intent on misusing it for profit.
To ensure device integrity and user safety, all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be removed without delay.
Threat Summary:
Name
«Your iPhone Has Been Hacked» pop-up
Threat Type
Phishing, Scam, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Fake Claim
Scam claims users’ iPhones have been hacked.
Promoted Unwanted Application
Scam promotes various dubious apps.
Symptoms
Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information.
Malware Removal (Mac)
To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.
Popular models include (but are not limited to): alerts that the device is infected or at risk, notifications concerning outdated or missing software, fake prize giveaways, «amazing» deals, etc. Regardless of what these scams state, request, offer or demand, their purpose is identical: to generate revenue for the designers. Therefore, always exercise caution when browsing.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
Some PUAs have «official» download web pages, which are often promoted by deceptive/scam sites. These apps can also be downloaded/installed together with other software. «Bundling» is the term used to define this deceptive marketing method of pre-packing normal products with unwanted or malicious additions.
Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, etc.) increases the risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the system. Intrusive ads proliferate PUAs as well. When clicked, they can execute scripts designed to download/install PUAs without users’ permission.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
All products should be researched before download/installation. Use official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders can offer deceptive and bundled, and therefore should be avoided.
When downloading/installing, it is important to read the terms, study all possible options, use the «Custom/Advanced» settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive ads typically seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to highly dubious pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and others).
If you experience these advertisements/redirects, check the system and immediately remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.
Text presented in the «Your iPhone Has Been Hacked» scam:
All your actions on the device are tracked by a hacker.
Immediate Action Is Required!
To enable pop-up blocking, fraudulent website warnings, and remove web browsing data in mobile Apple devices, follow these steps:
First, go to «Settings«, and then scroll down to find and tap «Safari«.
Check if the «Block Pop-ups» and «Fraudulent Website Warning» toggles are enabled. If not, enable them immediately. Then, scroll down and tap «Advanced«.
Tap «Website Data» and then «Remove All Website Data«.
Instant automatic Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below: ▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.
Quick menu:
Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:
Potentially unwanted applications removal:
Remove potentially unwanted applications from your «Applications» folder:
Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select «Applications«. In the applications folder, look for «MPlayerX«,»NicePlayer«, or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.
Combo Cleaner checks if your computer is infected with malware. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.
Remove «your iphone has been hacked» pop-up related files and folders:
Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder.
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder. bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware — “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder:
In the Go to Folder. bar, type: /Library/Application Support
In the “Application Support” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, “MplayerX” or “NicePlayer”, and move these folders to the Trash.
Check for adware-generated files in the
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder:
In the Go to Folder. bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons
In the “LaunchDaemons” folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preferences.plist”, «com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, etc., and move them to the Trash.
Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:
If you have followed all the steps in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure your system is not infected run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file double click combocleaner.dmg installer, in the opened window drag and drop Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates it’s virus definition database and click «Start Combo Scan» button.
Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays «no threats found» — this means that you can continue with the removal guide, otherwise it’s recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.
After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.
«Your iPhone Has Been Hacked» pop-up removal from Internet browsers:
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Remove «your iphone has been hacked» pop-up related Safari extensions:
Open Safari browser, from the menu bar, select «Safari» and click «Preferences. «.
In the preferences window, select «Extensions» and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the «Uninstall» button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser — none are crucial for normal browser operation.
If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements — Reset Safari.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Remove «your iphone has been hacked» pop-up related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:
Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the «Open Menu» (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose «Add-ons«.
Choose the «Extensions» tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the «Remove» button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser — none are crucial for normal browser operation.
If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements — Reset Mozilla Firefox.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Remove «your iphone has been hacked» pop-up related Google Chrome add-ons:
Open Google Chrome and click the «Chrome menu» (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose «More Tools» and select «Extensions«.
In the «Extensions» window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the «Trash» button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser — none are crucial for normal browser operation.
If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements — Reset Google Chrome.
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About the author:
Tomas Meskauskas — expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.
I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.
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Written by Tomas Meskauskas on 27 August 2021 (updated)
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder:
Check for adware generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder:
Check for adware-generated files in the
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder:
Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:
