Error: 0xc004f014 POP-UP Scam

What is "Error: 0xc004f014"?

"Error: 0xc004f014" is one of many fake virus alert messages usually displayed on untrustworthy and deceptive websites. Generally, users do not visit these websites intentionally - they are redirected by potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).

These are often installed inadvertently without users' permission, deliver intrusive ads, and gather various browsing-related (and other) data.

The "Error: 0xc004f014" fake virus alert message attempts to make people believe that their computers are infected with malware. According to this fake error/virus alert, viruses were found that might harm the computer and even track the user's financial activities.

Scammers use this fake message to trick people into contacting them via the +1-888-514-5929 telephone number. Generally, when contacted, scammers claim to be 'technicians' or support members of a well-known company, in this case Microsoft. The goal is to trick people into purchasing the products offered, which will supposedly fix the error, remove viruses, and so on.

The scammers also aim to trick users into paying for technical guidance that will supposedly solve the problems. This is a typical scam. Ignore it and simply close the website that caused the "Error: 0xc004f014" fake message.

If you clicked anywhere on the website, which then reverted to full screen mode (displaying another error/virus message), simply click the "Escape" (Esc) or "F11" button on your keyboard to exit. If you cannot close the website after exiting full screen mode, close the entire web browser.

If this also fails, use Task Manager to end the web browser task or restart your computer. Either way, do not restore the previous session, since this will opens the same deceptive website that led you to this problem in the first place.

Potentially unwanted apps that cause redirects to deceptive websites, also deliver advertisements and collect data. PUAs usually deliver coupons, banners, surveys, and other similar ads. These are annoying, since they often conceal underlying content of any visited websites and are displayed using tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site.

If clicked, they might redirect users to deceptive/untrustworthy websites or execute scripts that download other PUAs. Another downside of unwanted apps is that they track information. Generally, they collect data relating to browsing activity, such as IP addresses, keystrokes, search queries, URLs of visited websites and so on, however, they can also record personal data.

PUAs developers share this data with third parties who misuse it to generate revenue. These people could be cyber criminals. Thus, data tracking can lead to various problems including privacy/browsing safety issues to identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Error: 0xc004f014" virus
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Symptoms	Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of one's computer.
Distribution methods	Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

There are many various fake virus alert, error, and other messages online. Some examples are MS MALWARE ALERT, Your Computer Was Locked, and Error # 0xx90025ee9. Frequently, these fake messages are used to trick people into paying for software (or other products), services, and so on.

Do not trust fake messages and do not contact the scammers. PUAs also share many similarities. Their developers often trick users into download/installation by promoting these apps as 'useful' and offering various features, however, they are designed only to generate revenue and deliver none of the functionality promised.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

In some cases, users can download potentially unwanted apps from their official websites, however, they usually install them by clicking intrusive ads or when software developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". Bundling is used to trick people into installing PUAs together with other regular software.

Developers do not disclose information about the presence of unwanted apps in set-ups and hide them in "Custom", "Advanced", "Manual", and other similar sections of the installation processes. These inadvertent installations usually happen when users skip installation steps and leave do not check settings.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download software from official and trustworthy sources, especially if it is free. Avoid using third party downloaders/installers such as torrents and other similar channels. Furthermore, install software with care, analyze each installation setup window, and check "Advanced", "Custom" and other similar settings/options.

Opt-out of unwanted apps and only then finish the installation. Bear in mind that many intrusive ads seem legitimate, however, they redirect to untrustworthy websites such as gambling, pornography, adult dating, and so on.

If you encounter redirects/ads that redirect you to untrustworthy websites, check your browser for any unwanted entries (extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons, etc.) and remove them immediately. The same applies to the programs installed on your computer.

If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in "Error: 0xc004f014" pop-up:

We couldn't activate Windows

Try activating Windows again or contact Microsoft support and reference the error code. You can go to Settings for more information.

Go to Setting to Close this Error : 0xc004f014

Toll Free: +1-888-514-5929

Error Code:0xc004f014

Screenshot of a second "Error: 0xc004f014" pop-up window:

Text presented in a second "Error: 0xc004f014" pop-up window:

Alert Windows Support Alert
Your system detected some unusual activity.
Malicious Pornographic Malware Found.! It might harm your computer data and track your financial activities

Please report this activity to +1-888-514-5929

The appearance of "Error: 0xc004f014" pop-up (GIF):

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is "Error: 0xc004f014" virus?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

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