Avoid getting scammed by fake "Avira - Your System Was Corrupted" websites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What is "Avira - Your System Was Corrupted"?
While investigating suspicious websites, our researchers discovered the "Avira - Your System Was Corrupted" scam. It claims that the visitor's device is infected and urges them to perform a scan. It must be emphasized that this scam is in no way associated with either the Avira anti-virus or Avira Operations GmbH & Co. KG.
"Avira - Your System Was Corrupted" scam overview
This scam uses the logotype of Avira, thereby attempting to present its false claims as reliable information from a legitimate computer security software developer. This scheme states that viruses have been detected on the user's device; allegedly, these infections have caused corrupted the system by 27.5%.
Users are offered multiple system scan options. When we inspected this scam, pressing the scan options resulted in redirects to the official website of Avira. Note that this promotion is not associated with the company in question but is rather undertaken by scammers abusing Avira's affiliate programs to obtain illegitimate commissions.
It must be stressed that there are no guarantees that this scam will continue to redirect to the legitimate website. Deceptive content of this kind is more commonly used to spread untrustworthy and harmful software.
We have observed such scams endorsing fake anti-virus tools, browser hijackers, adware, and various PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications). There have also been instances where trojans, ransomware, and other malware were proliferated using similar false claims. Another possibility is that it may operate as a phishing scam.
In summary, by trusting scams like "Avira - Your System Was Corrupted" - users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.
Name | Avira - Your System Was Corrupted pop-up |
Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
Fake Claim | Device is infected with viruses that have corrupted the system. |
Disguise | Avira |
Related Domains | openyourorder[.]com |
Detection Names (openyourorder[.]com) | Avira (Phishing), Combo Cleaner (Malware), Fortinet (Phishing), Lionic (Malicious), Sophos (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
Serving IP Address (openyourorder[.]com) | 104.21.93.178 |
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 scam examples
We have inspected thousands of online scams; "Norton Security - Your PC Might Be Infected With Viruses!", "Windows Firewall Has Detected That Your Windows Is Damaged And Irrelevant", and "McAfee - Act Now To Keep Your Computer Protected" are a few examples of ones akin to "Avira - Your System Was Corrupted".
The Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content. Popular scam models include virus alerts, outdated software warnings, lotteries, prize/cryptocurrency giveaways, etc. Regardless of what a scam claims - its sole purpose is to generate revenue at victims' expense.
How did I open a scam website?
Scam websites can be force-open by pages using rogue advertising networks. Additionally, rogue webpages can cause redirects to such sites when hosted content is clicked (e.g., buttons, links, text input fields, etc.).
Online scams are promoted by intrusive ads and spam browser notifications as well. Misspelling a website's domain (URL) can also result in a redirect (or a redirection chain leading) to a deceptive site. Furthermore, adware can display scam-promoting adverts or force-open webpages running them.
How to avoid visiting scam websites?
Deceptive websites are accessed primarily via redirects caused by pages that use rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, spam browser notifications, intrusive ads, or installed adware.
We advise against using sites offering pirated software/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.) since they are usually monetized via rogue advertising networks. Additionally, we recommend paying attention to URLs and being careful when entering them.
To avoid receiving unwanted browser notifications, do not permit suspicious webpages to deliver them (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.). Instead, ignore or deny notification requests (i.e., select "Block", "Block Notifications", etc).
Another recommendation is to download from official/verified sources and approach installation with caution (e.g., read terms, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt-out of supplements) - to avoid allowing bundled/harmful content into the system.
If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.
Text presented in the "Avira - Your System Was Corrupted" scam:
In danger
Virus found
We found that 27.5% of your system was corrupted by (35) harmful viruses from current adult websites.
Scan now To update
Fast scan Protection Start scan
VPN Privacy Start scan
Browser Protection Start scan
Total Security 1 of 10 devices Start scan
Clean up Protection Start scan
SafePay Privacy Start scan
The appearance of "Avira - Your System Was Corrupted" pop-up scam (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:
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Quick menu:
- What is Avira - Your System Was Corrupted pop-up?
- 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 scams are deceptive messages designed to trick users into performing specific actions, e.g., making monetary transactions, downloading/installing and/or purchasing software, disclosing private data, calling fake support lines, and so on.
What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?
Pop-up scams aim to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals profit primarily by obtaining funds through deception, abusing or selling private data, promoting software/products, and proliferating malware.
Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?
Pop-up scams are promoted on deceptive websites. Most users enter these sites via redirects caused by webpages using rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, intrusive ads, spam browser notifications, or installed adware.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?
Combo Cleaner can scan visited sites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious ones. Therefore, should you access such a webpage - you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.
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