Do not trust fake "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!" websites

What kind of scam is "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!"?

During a routine investigation of untrustworthy websites, our researchers discovered the "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!" scam. Presented as the Norton anti-virus, this scheme claims to detect multiple infections on users' devices. Typically, scams of this kind are used to promote unreliable and potentially harmful content.

It must be stressed that this information is false, and this scheme is in no way associated with the actual Norton AntiVirus or its developer – Gen Digital Inc.

"Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!" scam overview

When we accessed a site running this scam, the page presented us with the interface of a fake anti-virus. This software imitator pretended to run a system scan that detected various threats, including viruses, trojans, keyloggers, adware, scareware, etc.

Following the bogus scan's completion, a pop-up was displayed. This window stated that the visitor's computer is infected with eighteen viruses, which are likely tracking browsing activity and stealing their log-in credentials and banking details. The user was encouraged to renew their anti-virus subscription.

As mentioned in the introduction, all these claims are false. In fact, no website can perform system scans or detect threats/issues on visitors' devices. It must be emphasized that "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!" is not associated with the real Norton AntiVirus or Gen Digital.

In most cases, schemes of this kind endorse fake anti-virus tools, adware, browser hijackers, and various PUAs – under the guise of security software. We have even found instances of such scams proliferating trojans, ransomware, cryptominers, and other malware.

Threat alert schemes may redirect to the official websites of legitimate products or services. This promotion can be facilitated through the abuse of the content's affiliate programs by scammers seeking to acquire illegitimate commissions.

Yet it must be stressed that there are imitator pages that mimic genuine sites exceptionally closely, and they may endorse untrustworthy/hazardous software. Hence, even if a scam redirects to an official website of a legitimate product/service – there are no guarantees that that will continue to be the case.

To summarize, victims of scams like "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!" can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!" pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Computer is infected with multiple viruses.
Disguise	Norton AntiVirus, Gen Digital
Related Domains	honerwax[.]xyz, nortos[.]fun, fulltimehighpotencyguard[.]info, algycoms[.]xyz, gutor[.]xyz, garhis[.]xyz, goheruds[.]xyz, garicund[.]xyz, litugamet[.]xyz, gavirfact[.]xyz, jumadefs[.]xyz, kalestin[.]xyz, kentosim[.]xyz
Detection Names (nortos[.]fun)	Criminal IP (Phishing), Emsisoft (Phishing), alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Ermes (Not Recommended), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (nortos[.]fun)	87.236.16.21
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.

Online scams in general

"McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites", "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses", "TotalAV Security - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!", and "Google Safe Browser Total Protection" are merely some examples of scams similar to "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!".

There are countless schemes on the Web, and they make various false claims. Scams aim to lure/scare users into performing specific actions (e.g., downloading/installing programs, purchasing products, subscribing to services, disclosing private data, etc.). The end goal is to generate revenue at victims' expense.

How did I open a scam website?

Visiting a webpage that uses rogue advertising networks can result in immediate access to a scam site or a redirect to such after hosted content is interacted with (e.g., clicking buttons, text input fields, ads, links, etc.). Additionally, online scams are endorsed by spam browser notifications and intrusive adverts.

Spam in general (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, forum/ social media posts, etc.) is utilized in scam promotion. Misspelling a website's domain (URL) can also lead to inadvertent access to a deceptive page. Furthermore, adware can display ads that promote scams and/or force-open sites running them.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Since fraudulent and malicious online content usually appears legitimate and harmless – we strongly recommend caution while browsing.

We advise against using websites that offer pirated software/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these pages are typically monetized via rogue advertising networks. We recommend paying attention to URLs and entering them with care.

To avoid receiving undesirable browser notifications – do not permit suspect sites to display them (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.). Instead, ignore or deny notification delivery from such webpages (i.e., select "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Additionally, be vigilant with incoming emails and messages – attachments/links found in suspect mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful.

To prevent bundled/dangerous software from infiltrating devices – download only from official/verified channels and be careful when installing (e.g., read terms, study options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.).

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 "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!" scam pop-up:

Your PC is infected with 18 viruses!

IMMEDIATE ACTION IS REQUIRED!

Viruses found on this PC most likely track internet activity to collect banking details and login credentials.

Please renew subscription to keep your PC protected.

Renew Antivirus Subscription

Unprotected PCs are 93% more vulnerable to suffer from malware.

The appearance of "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!" pop-up scam (GIF):

An example of a similar Norton-themed pop-up scam:

Text presented within:

18 Viruses detected!

Active Norton Antivirus subscription is required to remove viruses.

Please activate your subscription to proceed.

[Activate Subscription]

Yet another example of "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 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:
▼ 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 "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!" 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 aim to deceive users into performing certain actions. To elaborate, victims can be tricked into downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, calling fake support lines, allowing scammers to access devices remotely, disclosing private data, making monetary transactions, and so on.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are designed to generate revenue at victims' expense. Cyber criminals profit predominantly by obtaining funds through deception, promoting content (e.g., sites, software, products, services, etc.), abusing or selling private information, and proliferating malware.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are run on deceptive webpages. Most visitors enter them via redirects caused by sites 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 websites and detect rogue, deceptive/scam, and malicious ones. Therefore, should you visit such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be blocked.

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