What Is the Scareware Scam and How to Protect Yourself

Scareware is a malware scam technique that uses pop-up security alerts and other social engineering tricks to frighten you into paying for fake software disguised as real cybersecurity protection.

1. Is Scareware a virus?
2. How can scareware be prevented?
3. How do you identify scareware?
4. How does Scareware spread?
5. How can you tell a fake virus warning?
6. What are fake virus alerts?
7. What is the difference between scareware and ransomware?
8. How can phishing attacks be prevented?
9. What does a rootkit do?
10. Should I trust virus warnings?
11. How do I get rid of fake virus warning?
12. Is iPhone virus warnings real?

Is Scareware a virus?

Scareware is a malware tactic that manipulates users into believing they need to download or buy malicious, sometimes useless, software. Most often initiated using a pop-up ad, scareware uses social engineering to take advantage of a user's fear, coaxing them into installing fake anti-virus software.

How can scareware be prevented?

How to prevent scareware from infecting your system

1. Avoid clicking on ads appearing to know too much about your (computer's) issues, offering a free scan, or asking for immediate payment.
2. Don't open emails with suspicious subjects from unknown senders.

How do you identify scareware?

Here are some tell-tale signs that could indicate a scareware infection:

1. Your computer runs much slower than usual.
2. When you try to surf the internet to legitimate anti-virus websites, you can't get to them.
3. You see a lot of pop-up windows with false or misleading alerts.

How does Scareware spread?

How does it get in? Scareware can present itself as a message or an advert in a pop-up window, an email, message or text attachment, or a link on a legitimate web page. Unfortunately, you can also pick up 'drive-by' scareware simply by visiting a compromised legitimate website.

How can you tell a fake virus warning?

3 Most Common Fake Virus Warnings

1. Website Advertisements Disguised as Virus Scanners. ...
2. Browser Popups Claiming to Be Virus Scanners. ...
3. System Tray Notifications Pretending to Be Operating System Warnings. ...
4. Don't Click the Fake Alert. ...
5. Make Sure It's a Fake Warning. ...
6. Search for the Antivirus Product's Name.

What are fake virus alerts?

A common scam circulating among both Android and iOS users is the fake virus alert, a pop-up window that tells the user their device is infected. ... The aim, of course, is to scare the user into downloading malware or, in the case of a phone number, revealing valuable personal information to 'tech support'.

What is the difference between scareware and ransomware?

Scareware is a tool to help fix your system but when the software is executed it will infect your system or completely destroy it. Ransomware is a form of malware designed to block access from system until a ransom fee is paid.

How can phishing attacks be prevented?

Here are 10 simple steps to identifying and preventing phishing scams.

1. Know what a phishing scam looks like. ...
2. Don't click on that link. ...
3. Get free anti-phishing add-ons. ...
4. Don't give your information to an unsecured site. ...
5. Rotate passwords regularly. ...
6. Don't ignore those updates. ...
7. Install firewalls. ...
8. Don't be tempted by those pop-ups.

What does a rootkit do?

Rootkit is a term applied to a type of malware that is designed to infect a target PC and allow an attacker to install a set of tools that grant him persistent remote access to the computer. ... In recent years, a new class of mobile rootkits have emerged to attack smartphones, specifically Android devices.

Should I trust virus warnings?

Note: it's important not to confuse virus alerts with browser security warnings. Most browsers will warn you if they detect that a page you're about to visit is unsafe. You should heed those warnings, but they're not virus alerts.

How do I get rid of fake virus warning?

To uninstall, just tap the app and select Uninstall. Install the Malwarebytes app from Google Play. Once it's installed, update the database and run a full system scan on your Android. If Malwarebytes finds malware, have it clean the virus from your device.

Is iPhone virus warnings real?

Is the virus warning on my iPhone real? “No,” Lloyd sums up. “Most of the time these 'warnings' link to sites which are part of a phishing campaign. A malicious party crafted a pop-up to scare the user into clicking and potentially disclosing data.”