Beware: The Top 9 Scams Preying on Mac Users in 2026

It is a common belief that Macs are inherently safer than Windows computers. And to be fair, macOS does a lot right out of the box. It blocks sketchy apps from the get-go, Safari is solid for privacy, and it tends to be measurably safer against both apps and potential cyberattacks. Apple also constantly pushes out security updates — even for Macs that are several years old.

But here’s the part people don’t love hearing: attackers don’t usually start with your operating system. They start with you and your daily habits. They go after the places where we’re most predictable, like urgent situations, trust, convenience, and the tiny moments where you’re distracted and trying to get something done.

That’s why the most common attacks still look boring on paper. To make matters worse, many of us know about them and fall into the trap of thinking we’re “too smart to fall for them.”

Still, even today you’ll find fake login pages, people reusing weak passwords, scam pop-ups, and shady downloads. The biggest difference is that the delivery has gotten cleaner and more convincing with the rise of AI, allowing even half-literate foreign scammers to wage sophisticated attacks.

The bottom line is that no one is 100% safe against online scams and hacks. Not even a Mac user. So let’s go over the most common ways everyday users get targeted today, to help you be confident that you’ll be safe rather than sorry.

Phishing Emails or Messages That Look Completely Legit

Phishing is still the MVP of cybercrime because it can work on nearly anyone, including smart people who should know better. Modern phishing emails don’t look like badly written messes from random addresses; they look like the real deal. Scammers can now imitate a real Apple receipt or a real bank alert. Sometimes it even references something you recently did, like ordering a package or signing in from a new device.

The safest thing you can do is boring but effective: never click a link in an unexpected email or message. Open the app or type in the site in your browser. If it’s real, the alert will be there too.

If you want a built-in safety net, lean on AutoFill. If you use the Passwords app (or another reputable password manager), it won’t automatically fill in your login info on a fake lookalike domain.

‘Your Mac Is Infected’ Pop-Ups

Picture this: you’re browsing, you click a questionable page, and suddenly your screen screams at you that your Mac is infected. It might show an Apple logo, or it might say your data is at risk. It might even tell you to call a number immediately. The entire goal is to create panic so you stop thinking clearly.

This scam works because the message mimics the design of a system warning from Apple, even though it’s really just a webpage. And if you haven’t seen it before, it’s easy to assume your Mac is actually reporting something bad.

Avoid engaging with the pop-up. Don’t click the buttons. Don’t call the number. Just close the tab. If your browser refuses to cooperate, force-quit the browser and reopen it.

And always remember that Apple does not send malware alerts through random websites. Real security prompts come from macOS itself, not from a banner that wants your credit card.

Hackers Target Reused and Easy Passwords

This is a seemingly small and very common mistake that causes a lot of damage. When a site gets breached, attackers don’t just try that password once. They try it everywhere: email, shopping accounts, social media, cloud storage, and bank accounts.

If your email gets taken over, everything else becomes easier to steal. If your Apple Account gets taken over, it can turn into a disaster, as your iCloud data, device backups, synced passwords, and more are at risk.

The fix isn’t super complicated: you merely need to be sure you use unique passwords for important accounts. Not “unique-ish,” but actually unique passwords that are hard to crack and each used in one and only one account. Don’t rely on a single strong password for all your important accounts — use a unique password for each, since even the most secure sites like banks and government agencies aren’t completely immune to data breaches.

The good news is you don’t have to memorize any of them. Apple’s Passwords app makes it incredibly easy to keep all of your credentials in one place across all of your Apple devices, from your Mac to your iPhone.

If you’re using the same password across multiple accounts (especially important accounts like your Apple Account or banking account), or you’re using “password” as your password, take some time to generate harder passwords. The harder the better. And stop using the same password across all your accounts. Yes, it’s easier to remember, but it’s also easier to hack into.

You’ll be shocked at how much safer you get with a few changes in the right places.

Malicious Browser Extensions

Extensions feel harmless because they’re framed as helpful add-ons. Some genuinely are useful PDF tools or AI helpers. But the wrong extension can track what you do, inject ads, or quietly redirect you to phishing pages.

This is especially relevant if you like testing new extensions that look useful, but actually come from shady developers you’ve never heard of.

There’s also the possibility that you visited a shady website and accidentally accepted a request to install an extension that’s causing more harm than good.

On Mac, you’re better off keeping extensions minimal and intentional. If you can’t figure out why you installed an extension, you probably don’t need it. So, whatever the reason, be sure to manage which extensions you have installed in your browser. If you’re using Safari, you can do that by going to Safari and then clicking on Safari Extensions.

Safari users also have a nice advantage here as Safari extensions are more controlled and Apple’s browser has strong built-in tracking prevention.