Macbookgames.net Scam Site - How to remove

Macbookgames.net is a fake pirating website. It appears in internet search results and promises to let you download Mac games – even some that you can’t find anywhere else. But instead of downloading games, Macbookgames.net leads you to deceptive sites that rope you into signing up for expensive subscription services.

In other words, Macbookgames.net is a scam. Avoid it and all sites like it.

About Macbookgames.net:

Type of threat	Adware, scam, phishing.
How Macbookgames.net spreads	It appears in internet search results, it promises to let people download various games, even games that no other site can offer.
Problems and dangers	Macbookgames.net does not download any games, it instead tricks people into signing up for paid subscription services.
How to avoid Macbookgames.net	Block malicious websites and ads, use anti-malware apps to protect your computer (Spyhunter for Mac, Combo Cleaner, etc.), play games the legal way.

Is Macbookgames.net legit?

Macbookgames.net is a fake pirating site

Would you like to play The Last of Us on your Mac? Well, the only way to play this Playstation exclusive on a personal computer is through Playstation Now.

And yet, Macbookgames.net offers you to download The Last of Us and play it on your Mac. How is this possible?

Sadly, it’s not. Macbookgames.net is a fake game pirating site. It has entries for hundreds of games but doesn’t download files for any of them. Instead, it tells people that they must sign up for a website that turns out to be a paid subscription – and quite expensive indeed. Macbookgames.net exists to promote subscription scams.

One of the easiest ways to check if a pirating site is fake is to see if it offers impossible games. Macbookgames.net lets you “download” games that have not been released yet, such as Little Devil Inside. It also lets you download games that are not available on Mac, such as Demon’s Souls.

But even games that do have Mac versions, such as Wasteland 3, are used by Macbookgames.net to promote subscription scams.

Macbookgames.net appears in internet search results

When I searched for various games to “download free” on “mac”, Macbookgames.net tended to appear high up in Google search results.

Just because a site shows up in search results does not mean that it’s trustworthy. Plenty of fake and dangerous sites can be found through internet search, including fake download links and remote access trojans.

The web analytics site Similarweb estimates that Macbookgames.net gets more than 90% of its traffic through search. It also estimates that the site’s popularity is rising with it receiving over 100K visits each month, many from the United States. That’s a little scary.

Why fake sites show up in search results

There are some real pirating sites for Mac games. They’re not always safe, and they’re definitely not legal, but at least they might have actual game files. However, it’s easy for sites like Macbookgames.net to get ahead of them in search results. This is for a couple of reasons:

• Links to real pirating sites get removed from search results because of copyright holder requests. (Occasionally, links to fake sites get removed, too.)
• For some queries, there are no real results. For queries to download games on Mac that aren’t available on Mac, fake sites are pretty much the only results available.

It promotes subscription scams

But why does Macbookgames.net do this? Why pretend to download games?

Simply, it’s an advertising site. Here’s how it works:

1. Macbookgames.net promises to let you download a game.
2. You click the Download button and Macbookgames.net tells you that you must register first.
3. Macbookgames.net opens another site, such as Jollytimes.net, 123plays.com, etc.
4. There, you’re told that you must register with your credit card info to continue (presumably, to finish downloading your game).
5. If you register on the site, it signs you up for a free trial that automatically renews to a premium monthly subscription.
6. The game fails to materialize. Macbookgames.net doesn’t download any files.

Macbookgames.net is similar to Get-macgames.com, Macgamesbox.com, as well as sites like Gamerroof.com and Books-online.club.

How to protect yourself from Macbookgames.net

Block and delete malware

You can block some malicious sites by using ad blockers and some anti-malware apps. If you visit shady websites often, ad blockers can be really helpful as they block many of the malicious pop-ups and redirects that plague those sites.

It is also helpful to use anti-malware apps, like Spyhunter for Mac or Combo Cleaner, and others. Security apps can warn you about suspicious apps. And so can macOS, if you follow Apple’s advice to protect your Mac from malware.

Play games the legitimate way

Macbookgames.net and similar sites mostly spread via internet search results. If you don’t search for them, you won’t find them.

When you want to play a game, find out if a Mac version is available. Check official stores, publisher sites, and community forums. If they say that there’s no Mac version, then there isn’t one.

Avoid pirating. It is pretty dangerous.

You can play PC games on Mac by installing Windows or using compatibility programs. Depending on where you live, you might also be able to take advantage of streaming services. (How to Play PC Games on Mac Without Installing Windows)

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