Scareware

Scareware is a social engineering tactic and a class of malicious or fraudulent software that scares users with fake alerts. A typical message claims the computer is infected and pushes the user to download a "cleaner", call a phone number or pay for a bogus service.

Why it matters

The attack works on emotion rather than technical flaws. Fear and urgency make people click before thinking. The "fix" may itself be malware, or the scam may lead to stolen payment details or remote access granted to a fraudster.

Example

While reading an article, a full-screen pop-up appears with flashing red text: "Your device has 14 viruses. Call support now." The page is only a web page; closing the tab or forcing the browser to quit removes it. A real operating system or antivirus product does not show phone numbers in a browser pop-up.

Common mistakes

• Calling the number or installing the offered tool. That is the goal of the scam.
• Assuming the page can really scan the computer. A web page cannot tell what malware is on a device.
• Paying for the "full version" of a fake cleaner.
• Not reporting repeated incidents to the IT team.

Related

• Social engineering
• Malware
• Adware
• Phishing

This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.