Apple.com-optimize-mac.live Warning - How to remove

Apple.com-optimize-mac.live is the address of a fake virus warning that’s currently being used to spread Cleanup My Mac, a useless and potentially dangerous application.

Apple.com-optimize-mac.live is a malicious website, an example of malvertising. It’s very similar to other optimizer-pushing sites that lie about your Mac being infected:

• Apple.com-scan-mac.live
• Apple.com-fixing.live
• Apple.com-shield-guard.live
• Apple.com-monitor.live
• Apple.com-mac-optimizer.icu
• Apple.com-clear.live

As you can see, these sites all look very similar to Apple.com-optimize-mac.live and have almost the same URLs. They’re all fake warnings made to look like they’re from the real Apple, but actually not authentic in the slightest — the URLs are not official, the warning texts are made-up, and the software being promoted is third-party.

Apple.com-optimize-mac.live causes, problems, and solutions:

Apple.com-optimize-mac.live classification	Tech support scam Scareware Adware
Causes of the warning	Adware infection Malicious browser plugins Bad ads online
Harm caused	Malware downloaded and installed Unnecessary stress caused Money paid for the fake optimizer
Stop Apple.com-optimize-mac.live warnings	Uninstall suspicious programs Scan for and delete adware (Combo Cleaner) Uninstall suspicious browser add-ons

 

Apple.com-optimize-mac.live contains this text:

Your system is infected with 3 viruses!

Your Mac 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 Mac with MacOS 10.14 Mojave.

Personal and banking information is at risk.

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

4 minute and 34 seconds remaining before damage is permanent.

How Apple.com-optimize-mac.live works

Some adware infection shows you the pop-up, most likely. Or you could land there thanks to an ad, or the link being shared with you in social media.

When Apple.com-optimize-mac.live appears in your browser, it can be very convincing. The site is made to look like an official Mac warning, uses Apple logos and claims that it’s “AppleCare Protection Plan” — but it’s not affiliated with Apple in any way. AppleCare Protection Plan is a legitimate thing, which is why scammers borrow the trusted symbols and authority to make their scams more convincing.

Apple.com-optimize-mac.live shows an “Immediate action required” warning if you try to leave the site. This little warning also claims that malware has been detected on your computer to try and stop people from leaving the page.

If you click on the Scan Now button, Apple.com-optimize-mac.live then pretends to scan your computer and find a few pieces of malware. It tells you that you’re required to download a program and provides a download button. Cleanup my Mac, Mac Cleanup Pro, or another unwanted application is downloaded. These programs behave just like the website Apple.com-optimize-mac.live: they scan your device, always find lots of problems, and then tells you that you must buy the full version to fix everything.

If the victims of Apple.com-optimize-mac.live are still under the impression that the warning was from the real Apple, they might feel obligated to buy the program and spend money when they don’t need to.

Causes of the pop-up

Since Apple.com-optimize-mac.live is a malicious website, then the reason for seeing it is either malicious ads, an adware program, or both.

First, adware programs like MyCouponSmart and AssistEngine need to be uninstalled. Otherwise, they could redirect you to various unsafe websites by hijacking your browser (Safari, Chrome, or another) and force it to open them.  Besides, they could display misleading pop-ups right in your desktop.

Faulty browser plugins could be at fault, as well. They have access to the browser they’re added to, and they might even control which websites are opened and which elements are shown. A malicious browser add-on can mess with which ads are shown on which websites. And it doesn’t end with Apple.com-optimize-mac.live.

Tech support scams are promoted by adware, but that’s just one type of dangerous content. There is other (some even illegal) stuff that adware spreads and that online criminals make money off of:

• Phishing sites stealing your private information under false pretenses. They can use it for targeted phishing, to hack online accounts, to steal credit cards.
• Adult content, gambling, gaming sites. These can trick people, especially children, to spend money — hundreds or even thousands of dollars — on useless stuff.
• Installation sites of malicious programs. They’re designed to look safe, but the files they host are anything but. Apple.com-optimize-mac.live kind of false into this category, too.
• Get-rich-quick scams and fraudulent investment schemes. These use false information to trick adults to pay a lot of money in exchange for nothing.

Many Mac users are vulnerable to such content. After all, malicious ads have been spread for years and it continues happening — which means they’re lucrative enough for fraudsters and scammers to keep going. Apple.com-optimize-mac.live, too — once it’s shut down, clones will be set up again and start attacking people again.

How to stop Apple.com-optimize-mac.live pop-ups

Apple.com-optimize-mac.live is a website so it’s up to those hosting it or its creators to remove it. But you can stop being redirected to it, at least. This can be done by avoiding shady websites that usually have lots of dangerous ads, as well as removing any adware from your computer.

Go to the Applications folder to review your applications and delete the ones that are suspicious. You can check each one’s name online and remove the ones that you find info on being potentially unwanted. It’s possible for some programs to be installed on your computer without your knowledge and it’s not usually a sign of an ethical developer.

The same way, review your installed browser extensions and remove the ones that aren’t familiar. Remove stuff like ApplicationEvents, Genius App, Converter Master Search, and others that are known to be unwanted.

It’s also advisable that you scan your computer with a tool like Combo Cleaner which could catch the malware that you might have missed. As long as all adware is removed from your computer, it can’t show you any Apple.com-optimize-mac.live and other malicious pop-ups.

Automatic Malware removal tools

TopRemoving Apple.com-optimize-mac.live Warning from Safari (Mac OS X)

• Click on the Safari menu.
• Choose Preferences.
  
• Click on the Extensions Tab.
• Click on the Uninstall button near the com-optimize-mac. Remove all other unknown or suspicious entries too. If you are not sure whether you need the extension or not, you can simply uncheck the Enable check-box to disable the extension temporarily.
  
• Restart Safari.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Apple.com-optimize-mac.live Warning, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari.
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

TopHow to remove Apple.com-optimize-mac.live Warning from Google Chrome on Mac:

• Open Chrome browser.
• Enter in the url field “chrome://extensions” address and hit Enter.
• Find com-optimize-mac on the extensions list and click on the recycle bin icon next to it.
• Click on 'Chrome' button at the top left corner. Select 'Preferences' on a drop-down menu box.
• Find 'Search' options on Settings tab. If your search engine is changed, click 'Manage Search Engines' and set your preferred search engine.
• On the same page find 'Show home button' checkbox and change your homepage.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Apple.com-optimize-mac.live Warning, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• On the 'Preferences' menu window, scroll down to the bottom and find 'Reset settings' button. Click it.
• Confirm your selection and click 'Reset' on the following window.

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.