Scareware Scam Almost Snags Victim

Cybercriminals know that the best way to get their claws on the next victim is to appeal to their emotions, not logic.

There are a lot of scary things in life, and one is learning that your computer has been infected with a virus. If this happens, you’re now vulnerable to spending money on getting rid of the malware. The tactic of scaring users is called scareware.

• A pop up tells you “Warning! Your Computer Has Been Infected with Malware!”
• The pop-up can be triggered by visiting an infected website or by making a bad click.
• The pop-up can’t be closed out, or if it can, another appears.
• Additional information in the pop-up lures you into clicking a link inside it, such as buy some downloadable security software that will destroy the virus.
• Once the alleged security software is downloaded/installed, it crashes your computer—even if you already have a legitimate security software program in place.
• You’re screwed at this point. (Hope you had all your data backed up before this happened!)

Here’s another way the scam can unfold, from someone who wrote to me:

I was notified by a notice supposedly from Windows Security that my PC has been attacked.  They claim that all my PC ID numbers were stolen and that Russia had got about 8-12 other IDs.  They took control of my computer and said they scanned it to find this out. They claimed the only way that I could clear this problem was to have them clear it for $199.99 and security for 1 year (sic) for $149.99.  They said the only way to accomplish this was by check.  They said it couldn’t be done by credit card because (sic) numbers would be stolen too.  I refused to go along with that plan and closed them out.  

P.S. I checked my account and it is paid thru 6/2016. How do I know if I get a notice from Windows that it is legit? 

All windows notifications come via Windows Update. That “pop-up” emanates via your notifications area on your taskbar and NOT a popup via your browser. What a mess!

Protect Yourself

• Use security software only from a name-brand company.
• Keep it updated.
• See a pop-up? Close it out. Never click inside it—which you can’t do if you close it out immediately.
• Exit the site you think triggered it.
• Play it safe and run a scan using your legitimate security software.