Scareware: What is it and how to prevent it?
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2024 6:18 am
Have you ever been bombarded with pop-ups alerting you to security issues? They could be scareware: fake notifications designed to scare you into taking rash actions.
Fear can be a powerful weapon, and scammers know how to instill it and coerce someone into taking rash actions. In cyberspace, one common way they do this is through something called scareware.
Scareware is a classic scam that preys on our fears, making us believe that we have fallen victim to what is popularly known as a “computer virus” — now more accurately called “malware.” They take advantage of the fear of cybersecurity problems that can affect our devices in order to lead us down a path where this fear eventually becomes a reality.
Fortunately, a cool head and caution are a powerful defense.
What is scareware?
Have you ever been bombarded with pop-ups on your computer or device screen warning you of malware danger? Then you've probably encountered scareware. This is a scam where the victim is convinced that their computer is infested with malware and is tricked into paying for "antivirus software" they don't need, giving away their personal and financial details, or installing real malware.
Scareware can be distributed in several ways:
Pop-ups: These open automatically when you click on a link, visit a web page, or open a specific application. They may claim that your computer is infected with dangerous malware that can cause it to crash at any time. The only way to remedy the situation is to click on the pop-up to download a non-existent antivirus tool.
Emails and social media messages: Unsolicited emails can try the same trick, persuading you to act fast to clean up a recent malware infection detected on your machine/device. They can even come from legitimate but spoofed email addresses. However, if you follow the link or click the embedded button, it will take you to a truly malicious site or download.
Malvertising: Malicious ads on legitimate sites or social media platforms can do the same, urging the user to click through to download “antivirus software” to remove non-existent “malware” from their computer or mobile device.
Support calls: Sometimes, pop-ups or messages may include a support number to call that will take you to a fraudulent call center. The team will be prepared to tell you that your computer or device is at risk. They may ask you to download remote access software so they can “fix” the problem. In reality, they are looking to collect your personal data and/or scam you into paying for software that is little more than bloatware.
Other times, tech support scammers may call out of the blue with a similar lie. These scams have been going on for more than a decade, and in 2023 they were the third-highest-grossing type of cybercrime, with scammers raking in more than $924 million, according to the FBI.
It's all in the mind
Scareware uses classic social engineering techniques, as often seen in phishing messages. They try to rush the victim into making a decision without giving them time to think. The warning is palpable and is meant to create a sense of urgency: for example, “Act NOW or your files and photos could be corrupted FOREVER.”
Scammers reinforce the sense of urgency with flashing red images, all-caps text, and even by displaying fake screenshots of the supposedly infected files. They may also display a progress bar of the machine being scanned.
Finally, social engineering relies on persuading the victim that the message is coming from a legitimate source. So scammers will do their best to imitate the brand and names of legitimate security vendors, using names like “DriveCleaner”, “Antivirus360”, “PC Protector” and “Mac Defender”.
What can scareware do?
At best, you might end up spending money on useless bloatware, but at least that's where the scam ends. At worst, the criminals will collect your personal and financial france business fax list data to use in further identity fraud. Or, clicking on the link or ad will install spyware designed to steal information or ransomware to lock your device and then pressure you to pay a ransom to unlock it.
How to stay away from scareware
It's not difficult to stay safe from scareware and some tips to follow when you encounter such an alert are:
-Don't be afraid to click on the pop-up. If you don't recognize the name of the supposed antivirus tool, search for its name on a trusted source like Google to verify its legitimacy.
-Close the browser and/or disconnect from the Internet instead of clicking the alert. On Windows, the former can be done by pressing Control-Alt-Del, selecting Task Manager, and killing the browser task. On Mac, press Command-Option-Quit to open the Force Quit window. Another option is to shut down the device. In any case, avoid clicking the fake “X” or “Close” button on the pop-up window, as this could install malware instead of closing the window.
- Use trusted pop-up/ad blockers to reduce the chances of scareware appearing on your screen. Many of these blockers stop malicious pop-ups before they reach you.
-Keep browsers and software up to date and at the most recent and secure version. Older versions are more susceptible to being exploited.
-Install legitimate security software from a trusted vendor to block scareware, and remember to keep it updated with the latest version.
-Learn what legitimate alerts from your chosen security software look like so you can easily distinguish them from scareware.
-Remember that legitimate security software providers will not flood your screen with a barrage of pop-ups.
How to remove scareware
If your device or computer is affected by scareware, removing it shouldn't be a big problem. This is not real malware so run the legitimate security tool to scan for it and follow the instructions to remove it.
You can also manually check for scareware. On Windows 10: Search for “Add or Remove Programs” and uninstall it from the list that appears. On a Mac, look for the scareware in the Applications category of the Finder window. Right-click and drag it to the Trash, then empty the Trash. You should also change the passwords for all email accounts and financial services.
Fear can be a powerful weapon, and scammers know how to instill it and coerce someone into taking rash actions. In cyberspace, one common way they do this is through something called scareware.
Scareware is a classic scam that preys on our fears, making us believe that we have fallen victim to what is popularly known as a “computer virus” — now more accurately called “malware.” They take advantage of the fear of cybersecurity problems that can affect our devices in order to lead us down a path where this fear eventually becomes a reality.
Fortunately, a cool head and caution are a powerful defense.
What is scareware?
Have you ever been bombarded with pop-ups on your computer or device screen warning you of malware danger? Then you've probably encountered scareware. This is a scam where the victim is convinced that their computer is infested with malware and is tricked into paying for "antivirus software" they don't need, giving away their personal and financial details, or installing real malware.
Scareware can be distributed in several ways:
Pop-ups: These open automatically when you click on a link, visit a web page, or open a specific application. They may claim that your computer is infected with dangerous malware that can cause it to crash at any time. The only way to remedy the situation is to click on the pop-up to download a non-existent antivirus tool.
Emails and social media messages: Unsolicited emails can try the same trick, persuading you to act fast to clean up a recent malware infection detected on your machine/device. They can even come from legitimate but spoofed email addresses. However, if you follow the link or click the embedded button, it will take you to a truly malicious site or download.
Malvertising: Malicious ads on legitimate sites or social media platforms can do the same, urging the user to click through to download “antivirus software” to remove non-existent “malware” from their computer or mobile device.
Support calls: Sometimes, pop-ups or messages may include a support number to call that will take you to a fraudulent call center. The team will be prepared to tell you that your computer or device is at risk. They may ask you to download remote access software so they can “fix” the problem. In reality, they are looking to collect your personal data and/or scam you into paying for software that is little more than bloatware.
Other times, tech support scammers may call out of the blue with a similar lie. These scams have been going on for more than a decade, and in 2023 they were the third-highest-grossing type of cybercrime, with scammers raking in more than $924 million, according to the FBI.
It's all in the mind
Scareware uses classic social engineering techniques, as often seen in phishing messages. They try to rush the victim into making a decision without giving them time to think. The warning is palpable and is meant to create a sense of urgency: for example, “Act NOW or your files and photos could be corrupted FOREVER.”
Scammers reinforce the sense of urgency with flashing red images, all-caps text, and even by displaying fake screenshots of the supposedly infected files. They may also display a progress bar of the machine being scanned.
Finally, social engineering relies on persuading the victim that the message is coming from a legitimate source. So scammers will do their best to imitate the brand and names of legitimate security vendors, using names like “DriveCleaner”, “Antivirus360”, “PC Protector” and “Mac Defender”.
What can scareware do?
At best, you might end up spending money on useless bloatware, but at least that's where the scam ends. At worst, the criminals will collect your personal and financial france business fax list data to use in further identity fraud. Or, clicking on the link or ad will install spyware designed to steal information or ransomware to lock your device and then pressure you to pay a ransom to unlock it.
How to stay away from scareware
It's not difficult to stay safe from scareware and some tips to follow when you encounter such an alert are:
-Don't be afraid to click on the pop-up. If you don't recognize the name of the supposed antivirus tool, search for its name on a trusted source like Google to verify its legitimacy.
-Close the browser and/or disconnect from the Internet instead of clicking the alert. On Windows, the former can be done by pressing Control-Alt-Del, selecting Task Manager, and killing the browser task. On Mac, press Command-Option-Quit to open the Force Quit window. Another option is to shut down the device. In any case, avoid clicking the fake “X” or “Close” button on the pop-up window, as this could install malware instead of closing the window.
- Use trusted pop-up/ad blockers to reduce the chances of scareware appearing on your screen. Many of these blockers stop malicious pop-ups before they reach you.
-Keep browsers and software up to date and at the most recent and secure version. Older versions are more susceptible to being exploited.
-Install legitimate security software from a trusted vendor to block scareware, and remember to keep it updated with the latest version.
-Learn what legitimate alerts from your chosen security software look like so you can easily distinguish them from scareware.
-Remember that legitimate security software providers will not flood your screen with a barrage of pop-ups.
How to remove scareware
If your device or computer is affected by scareware, removing it shouldn't be a big problem. This is not real malware so run the legitimate security tool to scan for it and follow the instructions to remove it.
You can also manually check for scareware. On Windows 10: Search for “Add or Remove Programs” and uninstall it from the list that appears. On a Mac, look for the scareware in the Applications category of the Finder window. Right-click and drag it to the Trash, then empty the Trash. You should also change the passwords for all email accounts and financial services.