How to identify scams like "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software"

What kind of scam is "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software"?

Our researchers discovered the "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" scam while investigating browser notification spam. The scam is presented as a Microsoft/Windows alert urging users to upgrade their anti-virus. The goal is to deceive victims into downloading/installing or purchasing the promoted software.

"Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" scam overview

This scam impersonates a Windows alert. It begins by detailing Microsoft's security goals and the current cybersecurity landscape. This pop-up warns that the user is at risk of account and identity theft.

The window lists steps for upgrading the anti-virus and receiving a personal discount. The user is instructed to click the "GET STARTED" button to open the anti-virus webpage, fill out the payment form for the subscription, and install the security program.

As indicated in the introduction, this alert is a scam, and it is in no way associated with Windows or any other Microsoft products/services.

During our investigation, "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" operated as an affiliate scam. The goal is for scammers to obtain illegitimate promotion commissions by abusing a product's or service's affiliate programs.

However, there are no guarantees that such a scam will continue to redirect to an official page instead of an imitator or deceptive promotional webpage distributing suspicious/harmful software (e.g., fake anti-virus tools, PUAs, adware, browser hijackers, etc.). We have even discovered similar scams spreading trojans, ransomware, and other malware.

As "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" mentions filling out a payment form, it could redirect to a phishing website that will record the data and send it to scammers.

To summarize, by trusting a scam like "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" – users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	User is at risk of account and identity theft.
Disguise	Windows / Microsoft
Related Domains	clinicclear[.]site
Detection Names (clinicclear[.]site)	Fortinet (Phishing), Kaspersky (Phishing), Lionic (Phishing), Sophos (Phishing), Webroot (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (clinicclear[.]site)	104.21.80.1
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 countless online scams; "URGENT: Scan Your PC", "TotalAV - You Recently Visited Compromised Websites", and "McAfee - Computer Infected With Potentially Critical Viruses" are merely a couple of our newest articles on ones similar to "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software".

The Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. Online scams are often poorly put together and riddled with various mistakes, but they can be competently made and even believably disguised as content associated with genuine entities (e.g., companies, organizations, authorities, etc.). Therefore, we strongly advise vigilance when browsing.

How did I open a scam website?

"Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" was promoted via spam browser notification. However, other endorsement methods are not unlikely.

Generally, scams are pushed through various types of spam (e.g., emails, DMs/PMs, social media/ forum posts, SMSes, cold calls/ robocalls, etc.), websites that use rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads (malvertising), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, be wary of sites, adverts, calls, and messages that make alarmist warnings or unbelievable promises. Pay attention to URLs and enter them carefully. Do not use websites offering pirated software/media or other dubious services (e.g., illegal streaming/downloading, Torrenting, etc.), as these webpages usually use rogue advertising networks.

Do not permit suspect webpages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or deny their requests (i.e., click "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.). Approach incoming emails and other messages with vigilance; do not open attachments or links found in questionable mail.

Download only from official/trustworthy sources and treat installations with care (e.g., read terms, explore possible options, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of supplementary apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/harmful programs/extensions from infiltrating 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 "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" scam pop-up:

Upgrade your Windows antivirus software

At Microsoft, safeguarding your digital security is our top priority. Recent findings from Check Point Research reveal a concerning 30% surge in cyberattacks and online scams across the U.S. Alarmingly, over 100 million PCs worldwide are targeted by stealth attacks daily.

Your PC at risk of accounts hacking and identity theft.

Microsoft recommends upgrading your antivirus and gives you a personalized discount to help keep your PC secure.

Here's how you can upgrade with a personalized discount:
1. Click GET STARTED to redirect to the antivirus page.
2. Fill out the secure payment form to activate your antivirus subscription.
3. Install the application to secure your PC.

DECLINE
GET STARTED

The appearance of "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" 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:
▼ 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 "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" 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 carrying out certain actions. For example, victims can be tricked into downloading/installing software, buying products, subscribing to services, sending money to scammers, disclosing vulnerable information, calling fake support lines, etc.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams are designed to generate revenue for scammers. Profit can be made by promoting websites/software, obtaining funds through deception, selling/abusing data, and proliferating malware.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

"Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software" was noted being promoted via browser notification spam. Other potential endorsement techniques include different types of spam (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, social media posts, etc.), webpages using rogue advertising networks, intrusive advertisements (malvertising), misspelled URLs (typosquatting), and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites and detect rogue, deceptive, and malicious content. Additionally, it can deny further access to these sites.

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