Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe POP-UP Scam
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is "Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe"?
"Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe" is categorized as a fake virus alert. It is displayed on untrustworthy websites designed by scammers. The main purpose of the alert is to trick people into believing that their computers are at risk of infection. The rogue software also displays a pop-up window supposedly indicating that a Trojan (malicious program) is being downloaded.
Generally, people do not visit these deceptive websites intentionally - potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) cause these unwanted redirects. Similarly, few people install these apps willingly, however, once installed, they usually collect data and feed users with unwanted ads.
This entire "Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe" scam is designed by cyber criminals who claim that they are members/representatives of the Windows Support team.
They state that they have blocked the visitor's computer for one of the following reasons: the Windows registration key is illegal, there is illegal software installed on Windows, the Windows Operating System is proliferating infections via the internet, or the operating system is hacked and being used from an undefined location.
Furthermore, this deceptive website also displays a "Service Control" pop-up window, which shows the download progress of a "Trojan_horse.exe" file. According to this pop-up, the Windows Operating System is trying to stop this process. All of this is simply to make people believe that there is some risk/danger and to encourage them to take immediate action.
Scammers attempt to trick people into contacting them via the "+1-844 624 2345" telephone number. It is made clear that making contacting will help people to avoid possible risks (financial or data loss) and to unblock the operating system, however, these scammers design websites of this type to encourage users to purchase products (software) or services.
Deceptive websites such as this should not be trusted. Note that, it has nothing to do with Microsoft or its support team. Your Windows Operating System is not blocked and all other claims displayed on this website are bogus.
Do not contact these scammers and simply close the site. If this cannot be done in the usual way, open Task Manager and end the entire browser process from there. Do not to visit this website again and do not restore the closed browsing session.
Potentially unwanted apps usually cause redirects to these and other deceptive, dubious websites, however, they also deliver intrusive ads and gather browsing-related (and other) data. PUAs deliver ads such as coupons, banners, pop-ups, surveys, and so on. They display them using tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site.
Therefore, displayed ads conceal content of visited websites. Furthermore, when clicked, they often cause redirects to untrustworthy or even malicious websites. In some cases, they run scripts designed to download other unwanted apps.
Furthermore, if installed, PUAs often collect information such as IP addresses, search queries, URLs of visited websites, geo-locations, and so on. Developers share the data with third parties (often cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue.
| Name | "Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe" 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. |
"Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe" scam is just one of the many scams of this type. There are numerous others on the internet including, for example, "DarkWeb Attack ALERT", "ERROR 0X1CXX560", and "Windows Is Not Activated".
In many cases, they trick people into purchasing software or paying for services provided by scammers who claim to be 'representatives' of legitimate companies.
PUAs all have similar characteristics - developers present them as legitimate apps, however, when downloaded, they provide no real benefits, features, tools, and so on. In fact, these apps simply generate revenue for developers and cause problems.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
In some cases unwanted apps can be downloaded from their websites, however, most users install them through dubious ads that are capable of running certain scripts or when software developers use the "bundling" method. People mostly install PUAs inadvertently.
Bundling is a deceptive marketing method used to trick people into downloading and installing unwanted apps together with other software. They achieve this by hiding PUAs in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings/options of the download and installation set-ups.
I.e. information about the inclusion of unwanted apps (bundled) into download or installation set-ups is often is not properly disclosed. Note, however, that they cannot be installed without users accepting this (either inadvertently or willingly). These installations usually occur when people skip download/installation steps without checking the available options (settings).
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
Download software using official and trustworthy sources (websites). Do not use third party installers, downloaders or other untrustworthy sources. Install/download software patiently: check "Custom", "Advanced" settings of the installation/download setup, dismiss offers to install any additional apps (or other offers), and only then finish the process.
Bear in mind that not all ads displayed online can be trusted. Many redirect users to untrustworthy, deceptive websites such as gambling, adult dating, pornography, and so on. If you continually experience such redirects, a PUA might be installed on your browser or computer.
Check the list of installed apps (extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons) on your browser and programs on the operating system. Remove any unwanted, suspicious, unknown entries immediately. 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 "Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe" pop-up:
Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe POP-UP scam
VIRUS ALERT FROM MICROSOFT
***This computer is BLOCKED***Do not close this window and restart your computer
Your computer's registration key is Blocked.
Why we blocked your computer?The window's registration key is illegal.
This window is using pirated software.
This window is sending virus over the internet.
This window is hacked or used from undefined location.
We block this computer for your security.
Contact microsoft helpline to reactivate your computer.
Enter Windows registration key to unblock or Call Support at
+1-844 624 2345(Toll Free)
ENTER KEY:Windows Support Alert
Your System Detected Some Unusual Activity.
It might harm your computer data and track your financial activities.
Please report this activity to +1-844 624 2345
The appearance of "Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe" pop-up (GIF):
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is "Downloading Virus... Trojan_horse.exe" 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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