Do not trust fake "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" sites

What kind of scam is "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!"?

"Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" is a scam that our researchers discovered while investigating rogue webpages. It displays a fake system scan that finds multiple viruses on users' systems.

However, no website can detect threats on visitors' devices, and this is not an exception. It must be stressed that this scam is in no way associated with the Malwarebytes anti-virus or its developer – Malwarebytes Inc.

"Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" scam overview

The "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" scam performs a bogus system scan that detects various threats on the visitor's device. The final threat report (pop-up) proclaims that the computer is infected with five viruses and the anti-virus is unregistered. The alert recommends immediate action – removing the infections, as well as registering and updating the anti-virus.

As mentioned in the introduction, all these claims are false, and this scam is not associated with any legitimate products or companies.

When we clicked the "DELETE VIRUSES" button, it resulted in a redirect to Malwarebytes' official website. This is uncommon for scams; the promotion is likely motivated by scammers seeking to obtain illegitimate commissions through the abuse of the endorsed content's affiliate programs.

It must emphasized that even genuine software should never be downloaded through deceptive sources. Fake webpages may imitate legitimate sites almost perfectly – hence, a program downloaded from such is likely to be fraudulent or malicious.

Additionally, there are no guarantees that "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" will continue to redirect to the real Malwarebytes website.

In most cases, scams of this type promote fake anti-virus tools, adware, browser hijackers, and various PUAs. In rare instances, these schemes proliferate trojans, ransomware, and other malware.

In summary, victims of scams like "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Computer is infected with five viruses.
Disguise	Malwarebytes
Related Domains	initiateintenselyswiftinfo-program[.]info
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	34.200.46.148
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 scam examples

We have investigated thousands of online scams; "Norton - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses!", "McAfee - You Might Recently Browsed To Compromised Websites", and "TotalAV Security - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" are just a couple examples of ones akin to "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!".

Various schemes are available on the Internet; they can be poorly crafted and full of errors or be competently disguised as content from legitimate service providers, companies, organizations, authorities, and other entities.

Due to the prevalence of deceptive and dangerous content online – we strongly recommend exercising caution while browsing.

How did I open a scam website?

Deceptive webpages can be force-opened once a site that utilizes rogue advertising networks is entered or when content hosted on it is clicked (e.g., buttons, text input fields, ads, links, etc.). Misspelling a website's domain (URL) can also result in a redirect (or a redirection chain leading) to a scam page.

Additionally, intrusive advertisements and spam browser notifications are used in scam promotion. Spam in general is used for this purpose (e.g., social media/ forum posts, emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, etc.). Furthermore, adware can deliver adverts that endorse online scams or force-open websites hosting them.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

It is important to be cautious while browsing. Despite the harmless appearance of online content, like that of intrusive ads or spam browser notifications – it endorses unreliable/dubious sites (e.g., scam-promoting, gambling, pornography, adult dating, etc.).

We advise against using websites that offer pirated software/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming or downloading, etc.), as these pages typically employ rogue advertising networks. Another recommendation is to always pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully.

Do not enable suspicious webpages to deliver notifications (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.); instead, ignore or deny their delivery (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

We also advise exercising caution with incoming emails and other messages, as attachments or links present in suspect/irrelevant mail can be harmful.

To prevent bundled/hazardous software from infiltrating the device – download only official/verified sources and be vigilant when installing (e.g., read terms, explore options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, 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 "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" scam pop-up:

Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!

ACTION REQUIRED!

Your antivirus software is not registered.

To remove all detected viruses, you must register and update the antivirus software.

Click 'DELETE VIRUSES' then on the next page complete the registration of your antivirus software.

[DELETE VIRUSES]

The appearance of "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" pop-up scam (GIF):

Example of a deceptive browser notification promoting "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" 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 "Malwarebytes - Your PC Is Infected With 5 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 are messages intended to deceive users into performing specific actions. For example, victims can be tricked into downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, calling fake support lines, making monetary transactions, disclosing private information, and so on.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are designed to generate revenue. Cyber criminals primarily profit by obtaining funds through deception, abusing or selling sensitive data, promoting content (e.g., websites, products, services, etc.), and proliferating malware.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are promoted on deceptive sites, which are seldom accessed intentionally. Most visitors enter them via redirects caused by websites employing rogue advertising networks, mistyped URLs, spam browser notifications, intrusive advertisements, or installed adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to remove all manner of threats. It is capable of scanning visited websites and detecting rogue, deceptive, and malicious ones. Therefore, should you enter such a webpage – you will be immediately warned, and further access to it will be denied.

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