How to spot scams like "Your Windows Got Corrupted Due To Virus"

What kind of scam is "Your Windows Got Corrupted Due To Virus"?

It is a technical support scam website that shows deceptive pop-ups (fake warnings/notifications) to trick visitors into believing that they must call the provided number to remove a virus from their computer. We discovered this site while examining other questionable pages and shady advertisements. It is uncommon for scam websites to be visited on purpose.

"Your Windows Got Corrupted Due To Virus" technical support scam in detail

This website displays several pop-ups and a fake Windows scanner (its messages are voiced). It claims that it has detected "Trojan Spyware" and adware that can steal passwords, online identity, and financial information. Also, it states that a computer has been blocked.

The purpose of this scam is to trick visitors into calling the +1-888-385-4577 number ("technical support"). Scammers behind this page can ask to provide sensitive information (e.g., credit card details, passwords), download (and open) malicious files, provide access to a computer, purchase fake or unnecessary software/services, or perform other actions.

Threat Summary:

Name	Your Windows Got Corrupted Due To Virus technical support scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	A computer is infected with viruses and adware. Access to the computer is blocked.
Disguise	Legitimate Microsoft website
Tech Support Scammer Phone Number	+1-888-385-4577
Related Domain	wbakdamakadamw[.]xyz
Detection Names (wbakdamakadamw[.]xyz)	BitDefender (Phishing), ESET (Malware), Fortinet (Phishing), Sophos (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	104.21.3.175
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. ▼ 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.

Similar scams in general

Usually, technical support scam websites are disguised as legitimate Microsoft or other company pages. They urge visitors to call the provided number to fix errors, remove malware, or solve other "problems".

Typically, users who fall for such scams suffer monetary loss, lose online accounts, become victims of identity theft, have their computers infected with malware, or encounter other issues. More examples of similar scams are "DRIDEX..Malware detected - Error Code: DXRW2:#19X80XD", "Your computer is disabled. Please call Microsoft.", and "Alert! Windows-11 Can Not Update".

How did I open a scam website

In most cases, these pages get opened after clicking on shady advertisements, notifications from untrustworthy pages, or visiting websites that use rogue advertising networks. In some cases, adware is used to promote scam websites. In all cases, users do not open such pages intentionally.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Do not trust advertisements appearing on questionable pages or allow websites of this kind to show notifications. Download programs and files from official web pages and stores. Do not use unofficial pages, third-party downloaders, Peer-to-Peer networks, and similar sources to download them.

Have no adware and other unwanted software installed on the operating system (or added to a web browser). Always check downloaders/installers for unwanted apps before downloading/installing software. 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 Windows Got Corrupted Due To Virus" pop-up scam (GIF):

Fake message displayed by this scam website:

Windows Firewall Security Center
App: Ads.difragtrack(4).dll
Threat Detected: Trojan Spyware

Your computer has been locked because your windows got corrupted due to virus.
Contact Windows Support helpline: (+1-888-385-4577)

Windows
[Allow] [Exit]

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▼ 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 Your Windows Got Corrupted Due To Virus technical support 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 scam designed to trick users into performing certain actions. Usually, websites running pop-up scams display fake system warnings, virus alerts, error messages, etc.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

These scams are used for different purposes. Scammers behind them can try to infect computers with malware, extract sensitive information or money, sell fake or unnecessary services (or products), obtain access to computers, etc.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Fake pop-ups are displayed by deceptive web pages. These pages usually get opened via shady ads or pages that use rogue advertising networks (e.g., illegal movie streaming or torrent sites). In some cases, they get opened by installed adware or other untrustworthy software. Either way, users do not open scam websites intentionally.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan websites and detect untrustworthy ones (including websites that display fake pop-ups or other deceptive content). This application warns users about untrustworthy pages and restricts access to those sites.

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