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Need help. Fell for this scam and gave them control of my computer. Told me I had been hacked and needed to take all my devices including my TVs(!!) to some where to fix them. Tuned out and forced quit. Now what do i need to do?
 
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I know this is supposed to infect Windows computers but not sure if Mac also are infected. Anybody ever heard of this or seen it infect Macs? Where would I look to see if my Mac is infected?
 
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You have been ahcked - by them. Boot up your computer and if it runs okay well and good. Who knows what they did when they took control of your computer. Worse case scenario is you may be up for an erase of the drive and a clean install. Backing things up sine this happned may infect your backup drive so don't bother.

If you do not have AdwareMedic download it and run in Scan mode.
 
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MacInWin

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I'd change all your passwords as well. Who knows if they got into your keychain?
 
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bobtomay

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MacInWin

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Also, if you use any password storage (application, text file, Word document, Excel, etc), they probably go that. So change ALL your passwords at the bank, credit cards, etc, etc, etc. Frankly, being paranoid as I am, I'd just wipe the drive and reinstall from clean, then restore the files I trust from a backup from before the incident. But I'm paranoid...
 
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I found an iCloud keychain, but I've never used it. I keep all my passwords, files,etc. on a separate USB drive that's normally not connected, so they could not have accessed that when this happened. Additionally, tho I foolishly gave them access to my computer, I did not give my Mac password allowing them to install or change anything. There seems to be no info on this malware on Macs. Found plenty on Windows computers being infected. My computer had been turned off and on again a number of times and everything seems normal so far. They did show an IP address, on a list that I printed out, but it was one digit off from myMAC IP address. Not sure if them knowing my IP addresses would compromise anything I do.
 
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One other question. Once I gave them access to my computer, after I shut down does that access end? So next time I turn on the computer they would no longer have access?
 
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One other question. Once I gave them access to my computer, after I shut down does that access end? So next time I turn on the computer they would no longer have access?

That depends. Maybe they installed a key logger or a persistent remote control server. I would wipe that drive clean and either reinstall from scratch or restore a good backup. And change all your passwords after doing so. Every last one for everything you've ever used and that includes your user accounts on your Mac.
 
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Thanks for all the help. I have a carbon copy cloner backup that I can use after I format my hard drive.
 
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Assuming the CCC was made BEFORE this problem arose?
 
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CCC was made before hack. Erased, installed CCC. Now need to update OS X, apps, settings, etc.
 
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Pay them any money? If by credit card tell your financial institution today to cancel the process.
 
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I did not pay any money. I realized I had been scammed well before that...although not soon enough to allow them to take over my computer. My mind was somewhere else and I thought I was on the kindle website. I'll pay way more attention from now on. Now that I erased and reinstalled from CCC I have OSX 10.4.4 which allows me to have my Hoyle card game (windows ) back. Also have my 2011 Mac office back. Lost those when Apple erased my HD from a bad logic board.
Any problem staying on 10.4.4?
 
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I did not pay any money. I realized I had been scammed well before that...although not soon enough to allow them to take over my computer. My mind was somewhere else and I thought I was on the kindle website. I'll pay way more attention from now on. Now that I erased and reinstalled from CCC I have OSX 10.4.4 which allows me to have my Hoyle card game (windows ) back. Also have my 2011 Mac office back. Lost those when Apple erased my HD from a bad logic board.
Any problem staying on 10.4.4?

Yes, its 10.4 Tiger is like 10yrs old. I would be going through the updating progress, starting by installing Leopard/Snow Leopard depending on which OS you have on DVD then dating to 10.6.8 which gives you the Mac App Store, then upgrading to the OS that is supported by your Mac.

Have you been running 10.4 on this when they took control ?? Anyways, if you want to get a better OS, and not worry about a single Windows game, then do what you can to update to the latest OS Possible.
 

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Brent: I think he means 10.10.4?
 
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Sorry about that. 10.10.4. I was running the latest OS X at the time of the scam.
Will my 2011 Office for MAC work on latest update?
 

bobtomay

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10.10.4 is the latest update.
 

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@ Mods and Admins

This scenario has been posted umpteen times now. Is there any way you folks can create a "sticky" or "warning" of some sort so that people coming on to the Forums will be alerted to this dreadful business? We must try and prevent users from handing over control of their Mac if we possibly can.

Please forgive my interference, but I feel for these poor people.

Ian
 

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