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In this guide, you will learn:

What is a Fake Warning?

This type of technical support scam is the act of taking advantage of concerns about viruses and other threats to scare users into thinking that their computers have become infected with malware to get users to download and install a fake/rogue application.

Why am I receiving these messages?

Users may encounter this threat when clicking on advertisements or via pop-up ads on infected websites informing about some malware detection. These pop-ups often resemble error messages/fake warnings such as “Your system is infected with 3 viruses”.

Fake Warning sample

How to identify a fake warning scam?

They might look legitimate and can be trusted but they all have the same characteristics:

  • Offers online tools/services to clean up computer. The malicious page will try to run a fake scan on the device and will show detected issues which will try to fool the customer that the device has malware on it and will offer tools/services to clean up the computer.

  • Creating panic to encourage the user to contact support due to a malware attack. It will ask you to contact immediately the tech support number on the screen to remove the viruses or else they will spread to the whole system.

  • Grammatical and Spelling Mistakes. This is a very obvious symptom of a pop-up ads/warnings scam which includes poorly made images as well.

  • Suspicious URL or website address. Link, where the message appears often, shows different characters compare to the original site. For example, If the message came from Microsoft it would show www.microsoft.com instead of xxx.microsot.com.err.

How to prevent this pop-up scam?

  • Don’t click on suspicious advertisements and links.

    Refrain from clicking advertisements and questionable links as it may redirect the user to the scam site. Try to hover the mouse to check if it will show the website where it will be redirected to verify if it is malicious or not.

  • Do not install application being shown on fake warning.

    Make sure to check the reputation of the application before installing them to avoid other types of malware from attacking the device.

  • Enable pop-up blocker on the browser.

    Most browsers have a built-in pop-up blocker that you will need to enable if it was accidentally disabled or not properly configured. Trend Micro Toolbar for Edge includes an AdBlock function that is helpful to users using Edge for everyday use.

  • Install Trend Micro Toolbar.

    This feature of the Trend Micro program will help the user determine if the site that user is visiting is safe or malicious because it is showing the website rating.
    1. For Windows web browsers.
    2. For Mac web browsers.

  • Make sure to install updates for antivirus programs.

    It is very important to download the updates of your security software to make sure that components are up-to-date and it will be able to detect threats that will attack your device. Make sure to run a scan as well on the antivirus program.

  • Make sure that the operating system is up-to-date.

    It is always important to install updates and patches to prevent attackers from getting into the device.

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I clicked on a Fake Warning message

▼ 1. Report the Fake Warning Message

What to do: If you're still seeing the fake warning message, report it to Trend Micro's Site Safety Center.

How to do it:

  1. Open your browser and visit Trend Micro Site Safety.
  2. Copy the URL or website address that generated the fake warning message.
  3. Paste the URL into the “Check URL or File” search box.
  4. Click Check Now.
  5. Follow any additional instructions to report the issue.
▼ 2. Remove Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA):

What to do: Remove any suspicious software or Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) installed on your computer.

How to do it:

  • Windows:
    1. Open the Control Panel.
    2. Click on Programs and then Programs and Features.
    3. Look for any unfamiliar or suspicious software.
    4. Right-click on the unwanted software and select Uninstall.
  • Mac:
    1. Open Finder.
    2. Go to the Applications folder.
    3. Drag any suspicious or unknown apps to the Trash.
    4. Empty the Trash by right-clicking on it and selecting Empty Trash.
▼ 3. Reset Browser Settings or Clear Browsing History

What to do: Reset your browser settings or clear your browsing history to remove any lingering traces of the scam.

How to do it:

  • Google Chrome:
    1. Click the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner.
    2. Go to Settings > Reset and clean up.
    3. Select Restore settings to their original defaults and click Reset settings.
    4. Alternatively, go to Privacy and security and click Clear browsing data to delete your history.
  • Mozilla Firefox:
    1. Click the three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner.
    2. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
    3. Scroll down to Cookies and Site Data and click Clear Data.
    4. Alternatively, go to Settings > General > Restore Defaults.
  • Microsoft Edge:
    1. Click the three horizontal dots in the upper-right corner.
    2. Go to Settings > Reset settings.
    3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
    4. Alternatively, clear browsing history by going to Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data.
  • Safari (Mac):
    1. Open Safari, and click Safari in the top-left menu.
    2. Select Clear History.
    3. Choose All history and click Clear History.
▼ 4. Check if the Tech Support Scam Message Still Appears

What to do: Open your browser and check whether the tech support scam message is still appearing after you've completed the steps above.

How to do it:

  1. Open your browser and navigate to websites you typically visit.
  2. If the scam message reappears, avoid interacting with it and close the browser immediately.
  3. If the issue persists, consider running a full antivirus or anti-malware scan on your system using Trend Micro.
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