'Enter a Product Key' Scam

The 'Enter a Product Key' fraud is facilitated by badware that may pose as a legitimate program and aim to fool users into thinking that their copy of Windows is not activated and was acquired via illegal methods. The 'Enter a Product Key' tactic is run by con artists that work for fake technical support centers. The 'Enter a Product Key' hoax is based on the concept that the user will be shown misleading information and welcomed to call a Microsoft technician to buy a legitimate activation key. The message used in the 'Enter a Product Key' tactic is likely to resemble:

'Your product key should be in an email from whoever sold or distributed Windows to you, or on the box the Windows USB came in.
The product key looks similar to this:
PRODUCT KEY: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
Product key:
[text box for the key] [Submit button]
Your Product Key does not match
Contact Customer Service [a US-based phone number]'

Researchers reveal that the 'Enter a Product Key' tactic is known to run with phone numbers like 888-995-8019, 888-414-4284, 888-479-3649 and 844-459-8882. The 'Enter a Product Key' window may feature logos from the Microsoft's official support site located on Support.microsoft.com. It does not matter what you enter in the text inside the 'Enter a Product Key' window. If you choose to click 'Cancel' the 'Enter a Product Key' might close and a new message box will appear stating:

'Customer Service 1-888-995-8019'

'The copy of windows is not genuine. You may be the victim of Microsoft Copy right policy with legal action.'

Keep in mind that you will not be provided with help from certified technicians and may be instructed to download and install potentially harmful software. Con artists are known to use legitimate remote access tools like TeamViewer and LogmeIn to access the machines of potential victims and cause system errors. That way most users may be willing to pay more than $500 for their PCs to be repaired. Researchers note that the badware associated with the 'Enter a Product Key' tactic may be loaded with Windows on boot up. You will need a trusted anti-malware application to find and delete the program behind the 'Enter a Product Key' pop-ups.