'800-986-4360' Pop-Ups

The '800-986-4360' pop-ups are associated with a Trojan known as Junker that belongs to a large family of Trojans designed to display pop-up messages associated with fake technical support services. Some sources may classify unwanted components associated with the '800-986-4360' pop-ups as PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) rather than Trojans. In any case, you should avoid calling the phone number included in the '800-986-4360' pop-ups. The main purpose of the '800-986-4360' pop-ups is to convince computer users to call this bogus technical support number. Once a computer user has been snared in by the '800-986-4360' pop-ups, the individual answering the call may try to obtain the computer user's credit card information and other data, as well as convincing the computer user to pay hundreds of dollars for a fake technical support service.

Inexperienced PC User may be Scared with the '800-986-4360' Pop-Ups

The '800-986-4360' pop-ups use a blue background and white lettering, clearly attempting to imitate the dreaded Windows Blue Screen of Death. The '800-986-4360' pop-ups may try to convince computer users that their machines have crashed or experienced a fatal error. The '800-986-4360' pop-ups may claim that a threat has been installed on the user's computer. The main purpose of the '800-986-4360' pop-ups is to scare inexperienced computer users so that they may be exposed to unwanted marketing. Junker and the '800-986-4360' pop-ups are somewhat more advanced than most PUPs associated with fake technical support services. Junker determines the computer user's geographical location and then displays a different phone number depending on it. Computer users in the USA may receive the '800-986-4360' pop-ups while computer users in the United Kingdom or Australia receive pop-up messages with different phone numbers.

What Lies Behind the '800-986-4360' Pop-Ups

When Junker carries out its attack, it displays the '800-986-4360' pop-ups, which pretend to be the blue screen associated with a typical crash of the Windows operating system. The text of most the '800-986-4360' pop-ups is similar to 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

Note how it includes a bogus, complicated sounding error code and technical jargon. The '800-986-4360' pop-ups also may include explicit text claiming that this is a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). However, the '800-986-4360' pop-ups do not indicate a Windows crash but, rather, a deliberate attempt to trick inexperienced computer users and induce them into believing that their machines are in severe trouble. Additional text related to the '800-986-4360' pop-ups may include the following:

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.

Note how this part of the message contains text that claims that a virus has been detected on the user's computer. However, there is absolutely no truth to any of these claims. Instead of calling the phone number included in the '800-986-4360' pop-ups, PC security researchers recommend that computer users take steps to remove Junker and any other PUPs from the affected computer.

What may Happen When You Call the Phone Number in the '800-986-4360' Pop-Ups

If you call the phone number included in the '800-986-4360' pop-ups, a sales representative may attempt to make you agree to the payment for a bogus technical support service. This tactic also may involve convincing computer users to install a Remote Access Tool or Remote Desktop component on their computers to allow the 'technician' to gain access to the affected computer. In fact, when con artists gain access to the user's computer, they may try to install additional, unwanted components and extract any valuable data (such as online banking data, contact lists and credit card numbers) from the affected computer. Computer users should never call the phone number included in the '800-986-4360' pop-ups or interact with the '800-986-4360' pop-ups in any way.