'800-921-4167' Pop-Ups

The '800-921-4167' pop-ups are related to a large family of PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) designed to display pop-up alerts on the user's computer. Computer users should avoid interacting with the '800-921-4167' pop-ups and should never call the phone number included in these bogus error messages. All content of the '800-921-4167' pop-ups is a lie, meant to trick inexperienced computer users to carry out a well-known tactic. The '800-921-4167' pop-ups are linked to a tactic that involves tricking inexperienced computer users into paying for a bogus technical support service. When computer users call the phone number in the '800-921-4167' pop-ups, they are asked to provide their credit card information and other data, as well as having to pay hundreds of dollars for a bogus technical support service provided by the fraudsters.

How the '800-921-4167' Pop-Ups and Similar Tactics Work

The '800-921-4167' pop-ups are designed to look like the Windows 'Blue Screen of Death.' To imitate its look, con artists have created a blue background with white lettering. The '800-921-4167' pop-ups also imitate the layout and language of a typical Blue Screen of Death. According to the text in the '800-921-4167' pop-ups, the user's computer is being attacked by a threat. Computer users are then urged to call the '800-921-4167' pop-ups phone number to obtain help removing this supposed threat infection. PUPs connected to the '800-921-4167' pop-ups may change the phone number in the attack depending on the computer user's geographical location, targeting computer users in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Message Contained on the '800-921-4167' Pop-Ups are Scary

The '800-921-4167' pop-ups are designed to mimic the error message that appears when Windows crashes. The text of the '800-921-4167' pop-ups and similar tactics may look like the following:

0x000000CE DRIVER_UNLOADED_WITHOUT_CANCELLING_PENDING_OPERATIONS
WINDOWS HEALTH IS CRITICAL
DO NOT RESTART BSOD : Error 333 Registry Failure of operating system - Host:
Blue Screen Error 0x000000CE

These supposed error codes and other technical jargon are simply there to lend credence to this attack and may not indicate any real problem present on the affected computer. The computer user may be asked to call the phone number included in the '800-921-4167' pop-ups, often by claiming that the '800-921-4167' pop-ups phone number is connected to Microsoft or Windows in some way. A bogus error message similar to the one below may be associated with attacks like these:

Windows Detected a Potential threat on your computer
Windows Security Essential wasn't able to block virus. Windows detected potential threats that might compromise your privacy or damage your computer. Error code: 0x8024402c, windows couldn't install the definition updates.

These messages may be caused by a PUP, rather than by any supposed error on your computer. If you remove the PUP from your Web browser, the '800-921-4167' pop-ups should stop immediately.

What are the Consequences of Calling the 800-921-4167 Phone Number

Computer users that have called the 800-921-4167' pop-ups number have reported that the person that answers them may try to convince them to pay for a fake technical support service. This tactic also may involve tricking inexperienced computer users into installing a RAT (Remote Access Trojan) or some remote desktop tool on their computers. The key is to gain access to the user's computer. Apart from charging computer users hundreds of dollars for the fake technical support service associated with the '800-921-4167' pop-ups, the cyber crooks also may try to gain access to the user's computer to collect valuable data. Potentially compromised data may include banking data, online passwords and contact lists – these may be used to spread the '800-921-4167' pop-ups tactic by sending out additional corrupted email messages to the computer users on the affected computer user's email contact list.