How to spot scams like Your Viber application is not updated!
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of scam is "Your Viber application is not updated!"?
It is a fake Viber warning displayed by a deceptive website. We have discovered this site while inspecting notifications displayed by other pages of this kind. Usually, the purpose of such scams is to trick visitors into downloading some software and (or) providing personal information.
"Your Viber application is not updated!" scam in detail
A fake pop-up that appears once this page is visited states that the Viber application is not updated. It also claims that failure to update the app immediately will cause the loss of all contacts, messages, and photos. The page provides instructions on how to update the Viber application.
It instructs to click the "Update now" button and verify the mobile phone with an SMS message. Clicking that button may download some potentially malicious application or open a form asking to provide a mobile number, name, surname, and (or) other information.
Scammers behind this site may be using it to trick visitors into downloading adware, some browser hijackers, or even malware. Also, visitors may be asked to provide credit card details, usernames, passwords, or other sensitive information. Either way, this scam must be ignored.
| Name | Your Viber application is not updated! scam |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Viber application must be updated to avoid losing contacts, messages, and photos. |
| Disguise | Legitimate warning from Viber |
| Related Domain | pinsbmt[.]com |
| Detection Names (pinsbmt[.]com) | N/A (VirusTotal) |
| Serving IP Address | 165.22.195.194 |
| 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
Usually, websites running pop-up scams are designed to look like official sites. They display fake virus alerts, error notifications, or other deceptive content. Scammers use them to trick visitors into providing personal information, downloading unwanted or even malicious apps, paying for unnecessary services or products, etc.
Examples of other scams are "McAfee Total Protection Has Expired", "You've made the 16.39-billionth search!", and "Your Phone Is Severly Damaged By Viruses".
How did I open a scam website
It is known that this scam website is promoted via notifications displayed by webjustpush[.]com - a deceptive page designed to trick visitors into agreeing to receive notifications. This scam could be promoted via other pages of this kind too. Scam websites are also promoted using shady ads, fake "Download" (or other) buttons on pages, search engine poisoning techniques, adware, and similar ways.
How to avoid visiting scam pages?
Do not trust websites claiming that it is required to click the "Allow" button to prove that you are not a robot, download some file, play a video, etc. These websites should never be allowed to show notifications. Also, do not click on ads displayed by/appearing on questionable sites.
Download applications from legitimate sources such as official pages and platforms, and use direct links. Avoid using P2P networks (like torrent clients), third-party downloaders, unofficial sites, etc. 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 "Your Viber application is not updated!" pop-up scam (GIF):
Text in the first pop-up message:
Viber warning!
Your Viber application is not updated! Failure to update it immediately will result in the loss of all your contacts, messages and photos
You can update the app now!Continue
Screenshot of the second pop-up message:
Text in the second pop-up message:
Viber warning Your Viber application is out of date. Update it now and all your contacts, messages and photos will be safe!
14:34
0:49 seconds left to update Viber
14:34
1. Press the "Update Now" button below and verify your mobile phone number with SMS.
2. Update will start automatically.
Update now
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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Quick menu:
- What is Your Viber application is not updated! 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?
Pop-up scam is basically a fake/deceptive message (e.g., virus or error alert) designed to trick page visitors into performing certain actions.
What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?
Pop-up scams are used for different purposes. Most scammers use them to trick visitors into providing sensitive information, downloading questionable or even malicious software, or paying money for fake or unnecessary products/services.
Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?
In most cases, websites running pop-up scams get opened through shady ads, notifications displayed by untrustworthy pages, or installed questionable applications. Sometimes, these pages are promoted using search engine poisoning techniques (they appear in search results), fake "Download", or similar buttons. Either way, pages that display pop-up scams rarely are opened on purpose.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?
Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited websites. It can detect malicious pages (including websites that deliver pop-up scams). This application will warn you immediately and restrict access to such pages.
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