'Computer Health Alert' Pop-Up
The 'Computer Health Alert' fake message is part of a known strategy that tries to convince computer users to call the 844-623-5160 phone number or a variety of other, similar phone numbers, for fake technical support for their computers. Calls associated with the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message tend to originate in India, but are routed through toll-free number systems in Canada and the United States. The 'Computer Health Alert' fake message pop-up message is a known misleading tactic; computer users should avoid following the instructions in the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message or calling the number listed in the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message. This may increase the risk of your computer been infected by threats as well as expose you to a hoax that may be intended to convince you to pay for bogus technical assistance.
The text of the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message pop-up is the following:
* * * COMPUTER HEALTH ALERT * * *
Windows Has Detected Errors. Due to Unusual activity Found On Your Computer. Contact Live Certified Technicians 1-844-623-5160 (Toll Free)
Despite the text of the message, the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message is not associated with Windows or Microsoft. The people at the other end of the line will try to convince computer users that their computers are severely infected with threats, attempting to extract hundreds of dollars for supposed technical support.
The 'Computer Health Alert' Fake Message and Similar Hoaxes
Over time, hackers and threat creators have realized that it may be more effective to trick inexperienced computer users using lies and traditional cons than creating software that will directly attack the victim's computer. These types of techniques are known as social engineering, and the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message is just one of the many types of known hoaxes that follow this tactic to extract money from inexperienced computer users. There are many variants of the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message, all of them usually trying to convince computer users that their machines require technical assistance and indicating a phone number they can call. The 'Computer Health Alert' fake message may also block access to the victim's Web browser or cause a wide variety of other symptoms on the affected Web browser (such as redirects and other pop-up windows). Computer users may also be exposed to credit card fraud and identity theft if they reveal their financial information in exchange for the supposed 'technical support' provided by the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message.
What may be the Cause of a 'Computer Health Alert' Fake Message
The 'Computer Health Alert' fake message may affect most commonly used Web browsers. Among the Web browsers that may be affected by the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message are Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. The presence of the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message on your computer indicates that there is a Potentially Unwanted Program or even threats installed on your computer. In some situations, it may be a hint that the website you are visiting hosts unsafe content, often without the knowledge of the website's operator. Computer users should close their Web browser (or force it to close) to make the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message go away. Then, computer users should take steps to remove any PUPs or threats present on their computer with an anti-malware application.
Since the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message has been linked to PUPs and threats, there are numerous symptoms that may appear along with the 'Computer Health Alert' fake message on the affected Web browser. These symptoms may include Web browser redirects and other pop-up windows. The 'Computer Health Alert' fake message also may be linked to performance issues, such as slowing down, freezing and crashing.
