Three-quarters of the “my laptop is infected” service calls we take at Twomey PC Repair in Highland Square are the same scam, dressed up a little differently each time. If you can recognize it in the first five seconds, you save yourself a $200 diagnostic and a weekend of worry.
What it looks like
You’re browsing normally, and out of nowhere a full-screen popup appears. It usually has a Microsoft-looking logo, a loud beeping sound, and language like:
- “YOUR COMPUTER IS INFECTED WITH 5 VIRUSES”
- “CALL MICROSOFT SUPPORT IMMEDIATELY AT 1-888-XXX-XXXX”
- “DO NOT CLOSE THIS PAGE OR YOUR DATA WILL BE LOST”
This is a web page. It is not your computer talking to you. Real Windows warnings never tell you to call a phone number.
What to do
- Don’t call the number. Ever. The “tech” on the other end will try to remote in and then lock you out until you pay them.
- Don’t click anywhere in the popupnot the X, not the “scan now” button, nothing. Many of the buttons are fake and trigger more popups.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Del → Task Manager → right-click your browser → End Task. Reopen the browser but do not “restore previous session.”
- Run your real antivirus (Windows Defender or our Emsisoft Orange Edition) just to be safe. It’ll come back clean 99% of the time because the popup never actually touched your system.
If you already called
Unplug the computer from the internet and bring it to the shop in Highland Square. We clean these out every week, usually same-day, usually under $100. Don’t factory reset; don’t change passwords from that computer. Come see us first.