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What to do now

Tech support scam pop-up: what to do now

Last checked

A full-screen warning says your computer is infected or locked and gives a number to call. It is a web page, not an alert from Windows or your antivirus: Microsoft’s own error and warning messages never include a phone number.

Do this now

  1. Don’t call the number

    Don’t follow any instruction on the page either, and don’t download anything it offers.

  2. Close the page

    Close the browser tab or window. If the page is stuck in full screen, press Esc or F11. If you still cannot close it, restart the computer.

  3. Already called and let them in? Cut the access

    Disconnect the computer from the internet, uninstall the remote-access program they asked you to install (AnyDesk, TeamViewer or similar), run a full antivirus scan, and change your passwords from another device.

  4. Paid them? Call your bank now

    Ask it to block the card and dispute the payment. For a bank transfer, ask it to cancel the operation.

  5. If it comes back, clean up the browser

    Clear the browser’s cache and cookies, and reset its settings to their defaults.

  6. Report it

    Report the scam to the services below, with the number shown and the page’s address if you have it.
On this page07

Check it with isMalicious

isMalicious compares what you paste with the threat intelligence sources it collects. It does not scan your device and cannot undo what already happened.

Phone number checker

Paste the number shown on the warning, with its country code, into the phone number checker.

What it does not mean
An unlisted number proves nothing: the warning itself is the scam, whatever the number.

URL scanner

If you can see the page’s address, copy it and paste it into the URL scanner.

What it does not mean
Not listed is not proof of safety: these pages change address often.

Report it

Keep the message, the link or the number until you have reported it: you will need them. These are the services that handle each case.

In the United States

In the United Kingdom

Wherever you are

Somewhere else? Report to your national police or your country’s cybercrime reporting service.

In France? The French version of this guide lists the French services.

How to spot the next one

  • A warning appears while you browse, takes over the screen and gives a phone number. Real security warnings never ask you to call.
  • It uses sirens, a voice or a countdown so you act before you think.
  • Someone calls you out of the blue, claiming to be from Microsoft or another tech company. Microsoft does not make unsolicited calls to offer technical support.
  • They ask you to install a program so they can see your screen, or to pay for a repair.

Questions

Is my computer really infected?

The warning is a web page, not the result of a scan. If you didn’t install anything and gave no one access, closing it is usually enough. Run a full antivirus scan if you want to be sure.

I gave them remote access. Can they still get in?

Possibly, until the program they installed is removed. Disconnect from the internet, uninstall it, run a full scan, and change your passwords from another device.

Does Microsoft ever call or show a phone number in a warning?

No. Microsoft says its error and warning messages never include a phone number, and it does not make unsolicited calls to provide technical support.

Related guides

Sources

The steps follow these official pages, read on :

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