You are browsing the web at home when suddenly your screen turns red, a loud beeping noise plays, and a message pops up claiming: “Your computer is infected with 15 viruses! Call Microsoft immediately at this number.”
The Illusion of Panic
This is a classic “Scareware” tactic. It is vital to know that this is just a malicious webpage, not an actual scan of your computer. Scammers use full-screen tricks and scary sound effects to cause panic so you call their fake support hotline and hand over credit card details.
The Escape Route
Microsoft or your internet provider will never put a phone number on a popup warning. If this happens to you, do not click anywhere on the screen. Instead, press the X on the top corner of your browser window, or completely restart your computer to clear the screen.
Staying Safe
As long as you didn’t call the number or download a file from that specific page, your computer is completely safe. The popup is just an aggressive billboard advertisement trying to trick you.
