How to spot scams like "Warning! Piracy detected!"

What kind of scam is "Warning! Piracy detected!"?

This pop-up message displays misleading information in order to scare computer users into believing that an investigation has begun regarding their stored information. When malware infects your computer, it displays a fake warning message reporting that pirated files have been detected on your computer and threatens that this is a serious violation and that an investigation is under way.

More about this scam

After a short period of time, you are redirected to a payment screen where you are asked to pay $400 in order to settle the dispute. It states that if you pay this sum, the investigation will not be continued.

Cyber criminals target Internet users who from time-to-time use peer-to-peer networks and file sharing services. If by mistake you have already entered your credit card information on the payment screen of this scare-ware, you should contact your credit card company and explain the situation.

Sometimes it is advisable to change your credit card number in order to secure your private banking information.

The following fake messages will be displayed:

"Warning! Piracy detected! Pirated content was detected on your PC! You are seriously violating copyright by:

- Media files downloaded from torrents

- Pirated movies from peer-to-peer networks
- Cracked software from file-sharing services

Copyright fund has received report and has started an investigation. You’ll receive subopena in a week."

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Quick menu:

• What is Piracy detected! Ransomware?
• 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?

It is a fake virus warning, system notification, or other deceptive message claiming that you must perform certain actions to avoid more damage, solve the problem, etc.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Cybercriminals behind pop-up scams aim to obtain sensitive information (e.g., credit card details, passwords), extract money, get permission to access computers remotely, distribute malware, or sell fake (or unnecessary) products and services.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

In most cases, these pop-ups are delivered by untrustworthy websites. These websites are opened via shady ads, other pages of this kind, installed adware, search results promoted using search engine poisoning techniques, or browser notifications coming from deceptive pages.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner will scan every visited website and detect untrustworthy ones, including sites that display deceptive pop-ups and other messages. It will warn you immediately and restrict access to those pages.

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