A pop-up says your computer is infected
The warning with the phone number is the scam, not the virus. What to do in the first minute, and what not to do.
A full-screen warning, maybe an alarm sound or a voice, a Microsoft or Apple logo, and a phone number to call right now. It looks like your computer is in serious trouble. Almost always, the warning itself is the scam, a web page inside your browser dressed up to look like Windows or a Mac. We check the computer afterwards to be sure.
Do this first
- Do not call the number. Nobody at Microsoft or Apple is on the other end. The person who answers will try to take control of your computer and then your bank account.
- Do not click anything inside the warning. Not OK, not Close, not Scan now, not the X drawn on the warning itself. Buttons on a scam page do whatever the scammer wants.
- Close the browser. Press the Esc key once, then close the browser window with the X in the top corner. If the X will not respond, press Alt + F4 on Windows or Command + Q on a Mac, which closes the browser the normal way.
- Only if the screen is still stuck and nothing at all responds, hold the computer's power button for ten seconds until it turns off, wait a moment, and turn it back on. This is the last resort, not the first move.
- When the browser opens again, do not click Restore pages. That brings the warning straight back. Start fresh.
Why this works. In most cases nothing was installed, and closing the browser ends it. We still like to check the computer afterwards, because the only way to be sure is to look. Your real protection runs quietly in the background and never asks you to call a number.
If you already called, or let someone connect
Hang up, even mid-sentence. Then:
- Turn off the computer's Wi-Fi or unplug its network cable, and stop using it.
- Do not pay, and do not read out any card, bank, or gift card numbers. If you already did, call your bank now.
- Text or call Michael at 701.306.0188 from your phone. We check the computer before it goes back to work. Something feels wrong: what to do first covers the rest.
If you are not sure what you are looking at
Take a photo of the screen with your phone and text it to us, or use Send a message below to describe what it says. Real alerts from the protection we install do not show phone numbers, do not play sounds, and do not fill the whole screen.
Worth knowing. These pages usually arrive through an advert or a mistyped web address, not because anything was wrong with your computer. The monthly security lesson at wetravelpc.com/aware shows what they look like before you meet one.
Did this not sort it out?
Any time you are unsure, and always if a number was called or someone connected. Tell us what the warning said and whether anyone has had control of the computer. A quick check afterwards is how we confirm the computer is clean.
Tell Michael which step you got to and what the screen says. A photo of the screen from your phone is perfect.