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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Fake Pop-ups Saying You Have a Virus

Fake Pop-ups Saying You Have a Virus: Totesnewsworthy Special

If you have used the internet recently, I’m sure you are aware of all the popups that may appear on less than friendly websites. Not all popups are dangerous, some are genuinely useful, but most aren’t. Being safe when you browse online is very important; understanding what your up against is necessary to protect you and your private information. This article explains how to identify a fake pop-up, how they work, and how to avoid them.

Fake Pop-ups Saying You Have a Virus (3)

What are fake pop-ups?

Fake pop-ups are designed to look like regular ones; they will warn you that “we have detected a virus on your computer” or some such similar lie. They bait you into clicking them only for them to run harmful software on your computer. Not all of the pop-ups can even be closed, many of their “x” buttons that you would associate with closing the popup are not real and will launch the software anyway. You will never get an actual popup telling you they have found a virus, always treat them as a scam when you see them.

How do they work?

These popups work by baiting you into clicking them either intentionally or accidentally. Once you have done so, they begin installing software on your computer. Never, ever, run this software. Just delete it and then empty your trash can/recycling bin that can usually be found on your desktop of all their files. Because if those files are allowed to run, you never know what they will do. Some could be seemingly harmless but contain a key-logger. This would make it easy for someone to sneakily steal your usernames and passwords to your accounts. The damages could in some cases be immediately obvious, it could wipe your entire PC with no way for you to stop it.

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How to remove fake pop-ups saying you have a virus?

The best way to close a popup, safely, is to use windows task manager. You can do that as follows: Click ctrl, alt, delete. Find the popup in processes and force close it. This is the best way of closing the popup because you never have to click on it. If you do find yourself with one installed, it is vital to use a virus scanner to detect any files and delete them. You can delete them manually, but you may miss something that has been intentionally hidden.

TotesNewsworthy Special Scam Tip: Never Call the Number on the POP-UP. Take your computer to a local store.

Virus Detected Alert Hacking Piracy Risk Shield Concept

How to Avoid Fake Pop-ups Saying You Have a Virus:

The best way to avoid these scam pop-ups is just to use your common sense about the sites you visit. If you do happen to bump into one, always close it using the task manager. But the absolute best way of avoiding them is by using an adblocker. There are plenty of free adblockers in the google chrome store you can download as an extension. Once downloaded, it will hide all ads on the page, or in most cases, not allow them to appear in the first place. This doesn’t just stop pop-ups; it prevents any form of advertisement that a website has. Which will make your whole browsing experience much more enjoyable.

Check some of our other Scam Awareness Articles

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17 COMMENTS

  1. This is really a nice and detailed article about fake virus alert. We all should know this matter very well. Thanks for sharing.

  2. Its really useful good write about Fake Pop-ups Saying You Have a Virus. I know something about it. Thanks for the sharing.

  3. I agree, if you got virus through online browsing, you will got real troubles. My 3-y old son get problem with pressing fake “x”. and this atricle is good. who will read my comment – just don’t skip this article. read it. 🙂

  4. Got a very important information. I always think that all pop us are containing virus. But i am now sure what are and what are not. Thanks for sharing this.

  5. Yeah I get these pop ups sometimes, but fortunately I’m pretty tech savvy and have a good idea when something doesn’t quite look right, but some people aren’t that way. Thanks for spreading the word!

  6. Thankfully I never had to learn this the hard way. So many scams online and off, but these pop ups do make you think you should click on them. ugh!

  7. I learned lot of things about the term “Fake Pop UP” its very important to know what is it.This is very useful article.

  8. Those pops-ups are really annoying but honestly I don’t know anyone that falls for them, it’s more of a danger to people that aren’t really skilled with devices.

  9. A worthy article indeed! I have seen many of these while browsing the internet and I usually just shut the browser down. Thanks to this article I now know how to properly shut down these fake pop ups.

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