'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' Technical Support Scam

The 'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' technical support scam is maintained by con artists who look to exploit PC users with limited knowledge of the Windows system. The 'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' technical support scam involves domains like h[tt]p://license-key13[.]xyz that host phishing pages and feature code that causes the Web browser to freeze. The 'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' pages may include logos of trusted services by Microsoft like Skype, Outlook, HoloLens, Xbox, Office and OneDrive. The designers behind the 'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' tactic might copy images and code from the official support page by Microsoft at https://support.microsoft.com. That way they may succeed in luring Web surfers into calling a toll-free phone line like 855-622-0255. The pages h[tt]p://license-key13[.]xyz are reported to include the Windows 10 and the Windows 7 logo. Additionally, the con artists use public information like your IP address, browser type, and Windows version to make the 'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' pop-up windows believable. We have seen the h[tt]p://license-key13[.]xyz domain produce the following messages:

• Pop-up №1:

'The server license-key13.xyz is asking for your user name and password. The server reports that it is from Windows 10.0. Your Windows 10.0 License Has Been Corrupted. Enter User Name and Password Or Contact Windows 10.0 Help Desk at Toll Free 1 (855) 622-0255.'

• Pop-up №2

'We are Unable to Locate Windows License Key Data File. It has been deleted
from your Computer.
You may have visited Harmful Website recently which has downloaded the
Ransom ware in your Windows Computer due to which the License Key Data
file is deleted.
Your System is Automatically Locked To Prevent Important Data loss.
For Immediate Support Call Windows 7 Help Desk at
Toll Free: 1 (855) 622-0255'

Reports from users indicated that the 'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' messages lure users into contacting fake computer support agents who offer to renew the Windows license key for 199 USD and remove the malware that has deleted your activation key. That is all a hoax, and you should not trust the 'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' pop-ups. When you activate a Windows OS using a genuine key, it is written to the motherboard, and you can link the device to your Microsoft account. It is recommended to enable two-factor authentication for your Microsoft account and report pages that instruct you to allow a remote connection to your PC. The fake computer support agents associated with the 'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' tactic may invite you to install a modified copy of LogMeIn and TeamViewer. The products mentioned before are legitimate service for remote support, but questionable help desk companies can abuse them.

It is recommended to close your browser if you have loaded the 'This Build of Windows 7 is Corrupted' pop-up windows. As mentioned above, domains like license-key13[.]xyz may include bad scripts that interfere with the Web browser and make it unresponsive. You can use the Task Manager in Windows and alternative process management tools to kill your Internet browser. Consequently, you can run a scan with a reliable anti-malware scanner and report the domain that has caused problems for you. There will be tips on how you can help browser vendors check suspicious pages below:

• Edge: Open the browser's menu and click 'Send Feedback' then choose 'Report site issue', enter the URL, and add a short explanation about your experience.
• Internet Explorer 11: Click on the gear icon, chose 'Safety' and then click 'Report unsafe site,' in the pop-up window mark the category of the site, and complete the CAPTCHA challenge.
• Google Chrome:: Click on the three dots icon, mark 'Help' and chose 'Report an issue'. You can add some sentences as a comment and click 'Send'.
• Mozilla Firefox:: Open the browser's menu, navigate to 'Help' (the question mark icon) and click on 'Report Deceptive Site'.
• Opera:: Click on the site's badge located in the URL bar, and click 'Details.' Then load the 'Fraud and Malware Protection' tab and click 'Report Site'.