Security · 5 min read
"Your Computer Is Infected" Pop-Up? It's a Scam
Flashing red warning, alarm noise, a "Microsoft support" number to call. It's one of the most common jobs through our Midland workshop — and in almost every case the computer was fine until someone rang the number.
How to know it's fake — one rule
Real security software never gives you a phone number. Windows Defender, Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender — none of them will ever ask you to call anyone. If a warning includes a phone number, it is a scam, 100% of the time, no exceptions.
Other giveaways: a countdown timer, a claim that your bank details are "being transmitted", a voice reading the warning aloud, or a page that won't let you close the browser tab.
1. Close it without clicking anything on the page
Don't click Close, Cancel, or the X inside the warning — on many of these pages every pixel is a link. Instead:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Find your browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) in the list.
- Click it, then End task.
If the pop-up is full-screen and you can't get to Task Manager, press Esc first to leave fullscreen, or hold the power button for 10 seconds to force a shutdown. That's safe — the "warning" isn't a real process doing anything to your machine.
2. Reopen the browser carefully
When it restarts, decline any "Restore pages?" prompt — restoring reopens the scam page. Then clear browsing data for the last hour (Ctrl + Shift + Del) so the tab doesn't come back on its own.
3. Check for browser notification spam
A very common variant isn't a website at all — it's a notification the site tricked you into allowing. In Chrome go to Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications and remove anything you don't recognise. Edge and Firefox have equivalent lists.
If you already rang them or let them connect
This one is time-critical. In this order:
- Disconnect from the internet — unplug the network cable or turn off Wi-Fi. That cuts their remote session instantly.
- Ring your bank from a different device if you gave any card or banking details, or if they had you log into internet banking. Ask them to flag the account.
- Change your email password from another device — email is the master key to everything else.
- Don't use the computer again until it's been checked. Remote tools like AnyDesk, TeamViewer or UltraViewer are often left installed so they can come back later.
- Report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au and, if money moved, to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au/report.
4. Get the machine properly cleaned
If anyone had remote access, a quick antivirus scan isn't enough — the risk is what they installed and what they took, not just a virus signature. We run a full virus & malware removal, strip out remote-access tools, check what startup entries and scheduled tasks were added, and go through your saved browser passwords with you.
Can't get to Midland today? We can do the check remotely — though if you've been scammed by a remote session, most people understandably prefer to bring it in, and that's fine by us.
Not sure whether it went further?
Call us and describe what happened — we'll tell you straight whether it needs a workshop visit or whether you're already in the clear. No charge for the conversation.