A pop-up says your computer is infected and to call a number? It's fake.
- A full-screen warning, often with alarms and a countdown, says your device is infected and tells you to call a "Microsoft" or "Apple" support number.
- The warning is staged. Nothing is actually wrong with your computer. A real security alert never tells you to call a phone number.
- The number reaches a fake call center that talks you into remote access, then sells fake fixes or steals from your accounts.
- Don't call. Close the browser. If you already called or gave access, follow the steps below.
This is a scam. The pop-up is designed to frighten you into calling, and the call is the trap. Microsoft, Apple, and antivirus companies do not put phone numbers in security warnings. The "technician" who answers does not work for them.1
Does this sound familiar?
Below are reconstructed examples of how these warnings look, recreated to show the pattern. They impersonate real companies. Those companies do not show warnings like this. (Illustrations, not real screenshots. Brands are impersonated; numbers are fictional.)
Pop-up, email, or a number that appears when you search for help: the entry point varies, but it always funnels to a phone call, where the real manipulation happens.
How it works
The fake alert does one job: get you to call. Everything that costs you money happens after you dial. (The screens below are illustrations of how the steps look.)
Red flags to catch it early
None of these alone is proof. Several together means close the page.
The single clearest tell. Genuine security software and operating systems never put a support phone number in an alert.2
Countdowns, alarms, "do not shut down," "your data will be erased." Urgency is there to stop you thinking or closing the page.
Any request to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or similar so they can "scan" or "fix" your computer. This hands them everything on it.
The page sits on a domain that isn't microsoft.com or apple.com, often something like win-alert-7734.info, and the browser may flag it "Not secure."
A real company bills normally. Demands for gift cards, a wire, or a Bitcoin ATM to "fix" your device are a guaranteed scam.3
A call, text, or email out of nowhere claiming your device is infected. Real companies don't monitor your personal computer and reach out like this.1
The warning is just a web page. You can get rid of it without calling anyone:
- Don't call the number, don't click inside the pop-up. Treat the whole page as hostile.
- Force-close your browser. On Windows, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and open Task Manager, then end the browser. On a Mac, press Option+Command+Esc and Force Quit it.
- Reopen the browser and decline to "restore" the pages, so the fake alert doesn't reload.
- If you're unsure your device is clean, run your own trusted antivirus, or take it to a technician you chose, not one from the pop-up.
Already called, paid, or gave remote access?
Need the steps by payment method? See what to do if you've been scammed.
Disconnect, secure your device and money, then report
Work through whatever applies. With remote access or money sent, act fast.
Where to report it
For the full country guide - agencies, phone numbers, and what happens after you report - see how to report a scam by country.
How big is this problem?
Tech support fraud is one of the oldest online scams and one of the most durable, because it preys on a universal fear: that something is silently wrong with your device.
The FTC's guidance is direct: a security pop-up from a real tech company will never ask you to call a phone number, and if you call the number in a fake one, the people who answer will lie about an infection, push a worthless "solution," and ask for remote access or payment.2 Once they're in, they can install malware, see everything on the machine including saved passwords, and demand payment in hard-to-reverse forms like gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. A related pattern - the fake renewal invoice scam - skips the pop-up and starts with an email pretending you already bought a Geek Squad or Norton plan.1
The FBI's annual crime reporting consistently ranks tech and customer support fraud among the costliest categories, with $2.1 billion in reported losses in 2025, and notes that older adults bear a disproportionate share.4 The same crews increasingly chain the scam with others: a "refund" that overpays you, or a follow-up call months later from a "refund department," which is itself a fresh scam.
The companies named in these pop-ups, Microsoft, Apple, Norton, McAfee, are being impersonated. Their real software does not hijack your screen, and their real support never lives at a number inside a flashing warning.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a pop-up ever mean my computer is actually infected?
- Not in this way. Real OS security alerts appear in your system tray, not as browser pop-ups with phone numbers. Browser pop-ups claiming your computer is infected are always fake - browsers don't have access to your system's security status. Force-close the browser if you see one.
- What if I called the number and gave them remote access?
- Disconnect your internet immediately. Run a full malware scan. Change all passwords you entered or that were visible during the session - use a different device. Check bank accounts for unauthorized transactions.
- Is the phone number in the pop-up connected to Microsoft or Apple?
- Never. Microsoft and Apple do not embed phone numbers in security warnings and will never call you unsolicited about a computer problem. The number in a pop-up always connects to a scam operation regardless of what logos appear.
- How do I close a pop-up that won't close?
- Force-quit the browser: on Windows use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), on Mac use Force Quit (Cmd+Option+Esc). If it persists after force-quitting, restart your computer. Do not call any number shown.
- Federal Trade Commission, "How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams". The pop-up-to-call-to-remote-access mechanic, fake "diagnosis," and demands for payment by gift card, wire, or crypto.
- Federal Trade Commission, "Seemingly urgent security messages could lead to tech support scams" (April 2025). The key tell: a real security pop-up will never ask you to call a phone number.
- Federal Trade Commission consumer guidance on payment methods in scams (gift cards, wire, cryptocurrency, Bitcoin ATMs). Irreversible payment methods used and the "only scammers ask for these" guidance.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2025 Internet Crime Report. Tech/customer support scams at $2.1 billion in reported 2025 losses, among the top categories by loss.
We document recurring online scam patterns using primary sources: government agencies, law enforcement, and security researchers. Microsoft, Apple, Norton, and McAfee are legitimate companies being impersonated, not the source of these pop-ups. Ads on this page do not influence our reporting. Read about how we research or who we are.