Fake Virus Warnings and Tech Support Scams: How to React

How to recognise a fake alert

It appears inside a browser window, uses countdown timers and alarm sounds, imitates Microsoft or a known antivirus brand, blocks normal navigation, and always provides a support telephone number.

• •A phone number in a security alert means it is a scam, without exception
• •Real Windows and antivirus alerts appear as system notifications, not full-screen web pages
• •Genuine alerts never demand immediate payment to unlock a device

Closing a locked page safely

Open Task Manager and end the browser process, or disconnect from the network and close the window. When restarting the browser, decline to restore the previous session — that would reload the scam page.

If you already called them

Nothing bad happens from a call alone. If you granted remote access, disconnect the machine from the internet, uninstall the remote-access tool they installed, run full scans, and change passwords from a different device.

If you paid

Contact your bank or card issuer immediately and report the transaction as fraud. Report the incident to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Expect a follow-up 'refund' call — recovery scams target previous victims.

Preventing repeats

Enable browser pop-up and scam-site protection, revoke website notification permissions you did not intend to grant, and keep an ad blocker or web-protection module active — most of these pages arrive through malicious advertising.