How to avoid scams like "Your Norton Subscription Is Out Of Date"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of scam is "Your Norton Subscription Is Out Of Date"?
We have inspected the site and found that it is a scam page designed to trick visitors into believing that they must take immediate action to protect their computers. Typically, users get tricked into opening such sites, or they are redirected to them through other web pages of this kind. This and similar sites should be ignored and closed if encountered.
"Your Norton Subscription Is Out Of Date" pop-up scam in detail
Once visited, the site imitates a system scan that "detects" multiple security risks requiring attention and threats supposedly identified as "Adware.Win32.Look2me.ab" and "Trojan IRC/Backdor.Sd.FRV" "Trojan.Qooologic - Key Logger", and others. After "completing" the scan, it displays a fake pop-up message.
This message claims that "Your Norton subscription is out of date" and urges users to "Renew subscription to remove viruses". It is important to note that Norton Antivirus is a legitimate security tool. Fraudsters often promote legitimate products using deceptive pages to earn commissions through their affiliate links.
Legitimate companies (including Norton) do not use fraudulent sites to promote their products or services. In addition to displaying fake messages, the scam site requests permission to show notifications. If allowed, it may deliver fake warnings, alerts, offers, and other misleading notifications.
These notifications can promote other scams (e.g., technical support scams, fake lotteries, giveaways, and surveys), websites hosting malicious software, sites designed to steal personal information, etc. Therefore, shady web pages should never be permitted to send notifications. They should be closed and never visited again.
Name | Your Norton Subscription Is Out Of Date fake alert |
Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
Fake Claim | Multiple threats have been detected on a computer |
Disguise | Legitimate warning |
Related Domain | avawhite[.]fun |
Detection Names (avawhite[.]fun) | Fortinet (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
Symptoms | Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan |
Distribution methods | Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, 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
Scam websites often imitate system scans, falsely claiming to detect security or other threats. They use deceptive pop-ups, such as warnings about expired subscriptions, failed payments, or other "problems", to trick users into taking action. To avoid any risks, users should never interact with these scams, deny notification requests, and leave these sites immediately.
Examples of similar scams are "We Are Having Trouble With Firewall", "Failed To Remove Viruses", and "Safety Warning".
How did I open a scam website?
Users can end up on scam pages through various deceptive tactics employed by fraudsters. These include phishing emails containing malicious links or attachments, fake or hijacked social media accounts spreading fraudulent links, and misleading ads placed on unreliable websites.
Scam sites may also be promoted via push notifications from previously visited shady pages or ads generated by installed adware. Additionally, rogue advertising networks—commonly found on torrent sites, illegal streaming platforms, and similar websites—often direct users to fraudulent pages.
How to avoid visiting scam pages?
Never allow untrustworthy pages to send notifications, as they can deliver misleading alerts and scams. Always download software from legitimate sources, such as official websites or app stores. Use reputable search engines like Google and be cautious of suspicious websites. Avoid clicking on pop-ups, ads, or links found on questionable sites.
Do not open links or attachments in unexpected emails from unknown senders. Additionally, use a reliable security tool and keep your operating system and applications updated to protect against threats. 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 Norton Subscription Is Out Of Date" pop-up scam (GIF):
Text in a fake pop-up message:
Your Norton subscription is out of date. Renew subscription to remove viruses.
[Renew subscription]
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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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 Norton Subscription Is Out Of Date fake alert?
- 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?
A pop-up scam is a deceptive scheme where fake pop-ups appear on a website or device, falsely warning of viruses or other critical issues. These pop-ups often imitate security alerts from legitimate antivirus providers or tech support services, pressuring users to take urgent action.
What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?
Typically, scammers behind such scams aim to steal money or personal information or distribute malware (or other unwanted software). Also, they may use these scams to earn illegitimate commissions by promoting legitimate products or services.
Why do I encounter web pages that show fake pop-ups?
Users may land on scam pages through phishing emails, deceptive links shared on social media, misleading ads, or push notifications from shady sites. Rogue ad networks, often used by torrent and illegal streaming sites, can also promote scams.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?
Combo Cleaner monitors visited websites to detect and block malicious and scam pages, protecting users by issuing alerts and preventing access to dangerous sites.
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