How to identify fake "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired" sites

What kind of scam is "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired"?

While browsing suspicious sites, our research team discovered the "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired" scam. It claims that the website visitor's AVG subscription has expired, and their computer is at risk. This scam is not associated with the actual AVG AntiVirus. The goal of this deceptive page is to trick users into downloading/installing software.

"AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired" scam overview

This scam is presented as an alert from AVG informing the user that their AVG AntiVirus subscription has expired. As the computer no longer has anti-virus protection, it is at risk of malware infections that may even be capable of stealing the user's online identity. The security software is offered at a 50% discount.

The scam will claim that the subscription has expired regardless of whether the AVG AntiVirus was ever installed on the visitor's device. While it is true that systems unprotected by an anti-virus are at greater risk of infection, this is merely a scare tactic used by the scam. It must reiterated that this scam is not associated with the real AVG AntiVirus or any other legitimate products, services, or entities.

At the time of research, "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired" operated as an affiliate scam. In these types, scammers seek to obtain illegitimate commissions by promoting a genuine product/service through deceptive or nefarious means.

Keep in mind that there are no guarantees that such a scam will continue to redirect to the official websites of legitimate programs. Instead, users could be redirected to imitator webpages or malicious sites proliferating fraudulent, unwanted, and malicious software (e.g., fake anti-viruses, PUAs, adware, browser hijackers, trojans, ransomware, etc.).

To summarize, victims of scams like "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired" can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

Similar scam examples

We have investigated numerous scams; "VirtualShield - Your PC Is Infected With 18 Viruses", "Viruses And Malware Files Have Been Detected", "Upgrade Your Windows Antivirus Software", "TotalAV - You Recently Visited Compromised Websites", and "McAfee - Computer Infected With Potentially Critical Viruses" are merely some of our latest articles on ones similar to "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired".

The Internet is full of deceptive and malicious content. While online scams have a reputation for being poorly made and riddled with mistakes, they can be competently crafted and even convincingly disguised as content associated with genuine entities (e.g., companies, service providers, organizations, institutions, authorities, etc.).

Due to how prevalent scams are on the Web and how well-made they can be – we highly recommend exercising caution when browsing.

How did I open a scam website?

Online scams are primarily promoted through sites using rogue advertising networks, various types of spam (e.g., browser notifications, emails, DMs/PMs, social media/ forum posts, SMSes, call calls/ robocalls, etc.), malvertising (intrusive advertisements), typosquatting (misspelled URLs), and adware.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Caution is essential to online safety. Therefore, be wary of websites, ads, and messages that warn of severe issues or make unbelievable promises. Do not use sites offering pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming/downloading, etc.), as these webpage are usually monetized via rogue advertising networks.

Pay attention to URLs and type them carefully. Do not allow suspicious pages to deliver browser notifications; instead, ignore or block these requests. Approach incoming emails and other messages with caution; do not open attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant mail.

Download from official/verified sources and be attentive when installing (e.g., study terms and options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.) – to prevent bundled/hazardous software 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 "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired" pop-up:

AVG

Your AVG Security subscription has expired

Your subscription of AVG Total Protection for Windows has expired on March 31, 2025.

After the expiry date has passed a virus may infect your PC, malicious malware might be installed, or your online identity may be stolen.

Your PC, is unprotected, it is exposed to viruses and other malware...

Discount (April 02, 2025):

You are eligible for UP TO 50% OFF

AVG Total Security
20.9.139 (10 DEVICES)

Serial Number:
8A5B4-RV6N-Q8TL-OFG3

Renew Subscription

The appearance of "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired" pop-up scam (GIF):

Another variant of "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired" pop-up scam:

Text presented within:

Your AVG Internet Security subscription has expired!

Your subscription to AVG Total Protection has expired on 4.9.2025.

After the expiration date your computer becomes vulnerable to viruses, malicious software and identity theft.
Your PC is unprotected, your personal info and passwords could be stolen.

You are eligible for discount → 50% OFF

Serial Number:

4RJW-TC5M-W7RK-PED1

Renew subscription

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Quick menu:

• What is "AVG - Your Subscription Has Expired" 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 a type of deceptive content that aims to trick users into performing certain actions. For example, victims can be enticed/scared into downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, calling fake helplines, disclosing vulnerable information, sending money to scammers, and so on.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

The purpose of pop-up scams is to generate revenue for scammers. They can profit by promoting content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), acquiring funds through deception, abusing/selling sensitive data, and spreading malware.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are predominantly promoted through webpages employing rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads, spam (e.g., browser notifications, emails, DMs/PMs, etc.), misspelled URLs, and adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan visited websites for deceptive/malicious content. It can also restrict all further access to pages hosting said content.