How to avoid scams like "Computer Might Be Infected With Potentially Critical Viruses"

What kind of scam is "McAfee - Computer Infected With Potentially Critical Viruses"?

We have examined the site and concluded that it hosts a pop-up scam. This scam involves a fake McAfee warning regarding computer security. Typically, scammers behind such schemes aim to collect illegitimate commissions or steal personal information or money. Thus, it is highly advisable to ignore warnings on suspicious sites.

"McAfee - Computer Infected With Potentially Critical Viruses" scam in detail

The fake message claims that the user's computer could be infected with critical viruses, warning them that their system may be under attack. It suggests that the user may have visited compromised websites, such as those related to streaming or adult content.

The message urges the user to run an immediate antivirus scan by clicking "Run a quick scan" or "Open Antivirus" to resolve the issue. It also includes the McAfee logo to make it appear legitimate (McAfee is a legitimate company focused on online protection for consumers, and it is not associated with this scam).

Clicking "Run a quick scan" or "Open Antivirus" initiates a fake system scan that supposedly detects various threats, such as Trojans on the operating system. Users are then offered to "Start McAfee Total Protection". This fraudulent scheme is likely used by unscrupulous affiliates who use deceptive marketing to make money.

Affiliates usually earn money through affiliate programs, which provide commissions for actions such as downloading software, making purchases, or taking other actions. However, it is also possible that this pop-up scam is used to extract personal information (e.g., credit card details) from unsuspecting users.

Sometimes, similar scams are used to distribute malware. Either way, users who unexpectedly encounter websites that show warnings, alerts, or similar messages should ignore these sites and close them.

Threat Summary:

Name	Computer Might Be Infected With Potentially Critical Viruses scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Your computer might be infected/under attack
Disguise	Legitimate warning from McAfee
Related Domain	uxaya[.]sbs
Detection Names (uxaya[.]sbs)	alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Seclookup (Malicious), Webroot (Malicious), 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, 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.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these types of scams often rely on manipulating users through fear and urgency, tricking them into downloading malicious software, disclosing personal information, or paying for fake or unnecessary subscriptions. Users must remain cautious when encountering unexpected warnings or prompts, always verifying the legitimacy of the sources before taking any action.

Examples of similar scams are "Your Computer Has Corrupted Files", "Your Norton Subscription Is Out Of Date", and "Norton Subscription Payment Has Failed".

How did I open a scam website?

Fraudulent websites are often promoted through notifications from unreliable sites, deceptive advertisements and pop-ups, fake buttons, and similar content on dubious pages. Users can also be led to these sites via links received from scammers via email or malicious ad networks used by torrent sites, illegal streaming platforms, and similar platforms.

In addition, scammers often manipulate search engine results to make their fraudulent websites appear at the top, increasing the chances of attracting unwitting visitors. Consequently, many users unintentionally land on these scam sites.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Always use reputable search engines like Google and verify website URLs to ensure their legitimacy before engaging with them. Only download apps from trusted sources, such as official app stores or verified websites. Avoid allowing notifications from untrustworthy sites and be cautious of ads, pop-ups, and links on suspicious websites.

Regularly update your apps and operating system, and perform security scans using a reliable antivirus program to stay protected. 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 "McAfee - Computer Infected With Potentially Critical Viruses" pop-up scam (GIF):

Text in the fake warning:

Your Computer might be infected with potentially critical viruses!

McAfee Your computer might curretly be under attack!
You might recently browsed to comprimised websites with streaming and/or adult content.
To delete potential viruses, you must run an antivirus scan immediately.
[Run a quick scan] [Open Antivirus]

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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 Computer Might Be Infected With Potentially Critical Viruses 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?

This scam typically features fraudulent pop-up messages, like fake warnings or offers, that appear on a misleading website.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

These scams usually aim to deceive users into disclosing sensitive information, trick them into transferring money to scammers or downloading and executing malware.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Scam websites are often accessed through sites that use rogue ad networks (e.g., torrent sites and illegal streaming platforms), manipulated search engine results, deceptive emails, misleading pop-ups, adware, or in similar ways.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from online scams?

Combo Cleaner can detect unreliable web pages, including those displaying fake pop-ups. If a site is flagged as dangerous, the app will promptly alert you and block access to safeguard your device.

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