How to spot a scam like Kaspersky - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What kind of scam is "Kaspersky - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!"?
We have encountered this pop-up scam while examining other pages that use rogue advertising networks (sites that display shady ads and open untrustworthy pages). The purpose of this scam is to trick visitors into believing that their computer is infected with viruses and purchasing an antivirus subscription.
"Kaspersky - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!" scam in detail
After examining this pop-up scam, we learned that the page delivering it is designed to run a fake system scan and present visitors with a list of fake detections. It claims that a computer is infected with five viruses. It also shows a message stating that the Kaspersky antivirus subscription has expired.
Kaspersky is legitimate antivirus software. It has nothing to do with this scam (its developers do not use such pages for advertising). Like most similar scams displaying fake notifications from legitimate antiviruses, this one is used to collect illegitimate commissions.
| Name | Kaspersky - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses! scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Computer is infected with five viruses |
| Disguise | Notification from Kaspersky antivirus |
| Related Domain | localdatadefence[.]com, syncnewestintenselythefile[.]vip, startswiftcompletelythefile[.]vip, performdevelopedgreatlythefile[.]vip, fullsecuritysystem[.]com |
| Detection Names | N/A (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan. |
| Distribution methods | Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications. |
| Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Similar scams in general
Most deceptive websites that use scare tactics to trick visitors into downloading or purchasing software are disguised as legitimate websites. They use real logos, names of legitimate companies (or products), etc. However, none of these pages are trustworthy.
Examples of similar pages are "TROJAN Zeus2021 Spyware Adware Detected", "Your Windows 10 Is Infected With Viruses", "Your Computer Is Disabled. Please Call Microsoft.". Pretty often, scammers behind such pages attempt to trick visitors into calling the provided number. They seek to obtain remote access to computers, extract money, distribute malware, etc.
How did I open a scam website
Websites that deliver pop-up scams get opened through deceptive advertisements, illegal streaming, torrent sites, and similar pages that use rogue advertising networks. Also, they can be promoted using fake "Download" buttons displayed on shady websites or search engine poisoning techniques. Sometimes, they get opened by installed untrustworthy apps.
How to avoid visiting scam pages?
Do not visit cracked software download sites, illegal movie streaming pages, torrent sites, etc., or click ads appearing on websites of this type. Download apps and files from legitimate sources such as official pages and platforms. Do not trust downloads from other sources.
Always check downloaders and installers for additionally included apps and deselect them before downloading or installing software. Do not allow untrustworthy websites to show notifications. If your computer is already infected with unwanted apps, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.
The appearance of "Kaspersky - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!" pop-up scam (GIF):
Text in a pop-up window:
kaspersky
Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!
ACTION REQUIRED!
Your Kaspersky Subscription Has Expired!
Renew now to keep your pc protected.
If your PC is unprotected, it is at risk for viruses and other malware.
[Proceed...]
Another appearance of "Kaspersky - Your PC Is infected With 5 viruses!" pop-up scam:
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:
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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 Kaspersky - Your PC is infected with 5 viruses! scam?
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is a pop-up scam?
It is a fake virus, error, or another notification urging website visitors to perform certain actions.
What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?
It can be used for different purposes. Scammers use it to extract sensitive information, obtain remote access to computers, distribute malware. Also, a pop-up scam can be used to trick visitors into paying for unnecessary (or fake) software or services.
Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?
As a rule, websites that display pop-up scams get visited unintentionally. They get opened via shady ads or other untrustworthy websites, fake buttons. In other cases, these sites are promoted via dubious apps or using search engine poisoning techniques.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?
Combo Cleaner can scan websites and detect malicious ones. Websites that display pop-up scams also fall under this category. Thus, Combo Cleaner will warn you about untrustworthy pages and restrict access to them.
Outstanding!
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