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On my iPad 2 (running iOS 9) there's a "Virus Detected" email popping up that I can neither delete or change. No matter what I do, the "Virus Detected" email keeps opening on my screen whenever I attempt to use Safari.

I've attempted to delete the email, change the email and to close Safari but the email keeps returning and makes using the browser impossible. I have no intention to either call the provided phone number or sending this email as it directs me to do. The email is as follows:

To: [email protected]
Subject: Warning! Virus Detected! Immediately Call Apple Support +1-800-876-6855. Your credit card details and banking information. Your e-mail passwords and other account passwords.Your Facebook, Skype, AIM, ICQ and other.Call Apple Support +1-800-876-6855. Your private photos, family photos and other sensitive files.Your webcam could be accessed remotely by stalkers with a VPN virus.
CC: [email protected]
Message: Apple Tech Support

How do I remove this email and regain access to my browser?

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    @Tetsujin It's a different question, but with the same answer.
    – owlswipe
    Jan 2, 2017 at 16:51
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    hmmm...ok - not one I've come across. Guess I don't go down the rough end of the playground ;-)
    – Tetsujin
    Jan 2, 2017 at 16:55
  • Gotta love the ol' VPN virus :).
    – owlswipe
    Jan 2, 2017 at 16:57
  • Hey there, did my answer help? If it did, do you mind accepting it with the checkmark button?
    – owlswipe
    Jan 9, 2017 at 21:38

1 Answer 1

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Basically, this is a website that repeatedly spawns email templates by repeatedly opening a new tab with a mailto: link, causing iOS to open email templates repeatedly. This is a known vulnerability in iOS, fixed in iOS 10.2.

To fix the issue without updating your software, go to Settings -> Safari -> Clear Website and History Data. Alternatively, on an iPhone 6S (or newer) with 3D Touch, you can force-press on the Safari icon, open a New Tab, then immediately press down and hold the tab switcher icon, and hit Close All Tabs.

Learn more about this issue.

Note: This is fixed in iOS 10.2 (which, sadly, your iPad 2 can't update to), which prevents websites from opening mailto: links until the user specifically approves it.

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