Threat Database Phishing 'MICROSOFT WINDOWS with Pre-installed Mcafee' Scam

'MICROSOFT WINDOWS with Pre-installed Mcafee' Scam

After cybersecurity researchers analyzed the 'MICROSOFT WINDOWS with Pre-installed Mcafee' website, they discovered that it is part of a multi-stage technical support tactic. The initial lure website is designed to appear as legitimate as possible, with each next step in the scheme becoming more suspicious and shady increasingly.

When users land on the page, most likely as a result of forced redirects, they will be presented with what appears to be a close copy of the official McAfee website. However, the information offered here is completely fake - the decoy site will try to convince users that their Windows comes with a pre-installed version of the McAfee security software. Then, the hoax page will insist that users must immediately clean their computers from unwanted and damaging threats, by clicking on the 'Start INSTAT CLEAN UP!' button.

Doing so will bring users to a new page, representing the next stage of the tactic. There, the fraudsters will try to convince users that they need to activate their McAfee anti-virus. Of course, this message will be displayed even if users do not have this application installed on their computers. The site will show a partially blocked activation key and ask users to provide several private details to get the full key. The con artists may ask for full names, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. Keep in mind that technical support schemes almost always incorporate such phishing elements.

Users that complete the form and press the shown 'DOWNLOAD' button, will be taken to the final part of the 'MICROSOFT WINDOWS with Pre-installed Mcafee' scam. On this new page, the tricksters will insist that the installation of the anti-virus application is far too complex to be left to the user alone. Instead, it is far better to let the supposed 'professionals' handle it by calling the provided support number.

Technical support fraudsters will use the already acquired private information about the victims to appear as a legitimate service. They will then try to convince the unsuspecting user to give them remote access to the computer under various false pretenses. These people could exploit this access to snoop around for important or private documents, collect files, or even drop threats on the system. They may deliver RATs (Remote Access Trojans) or threatening ransomware that will lock the user's data.

In addition, con artists are likely to utilize various social-engineering tactics to obtain even more confidential or sensitive information. Finally, they could ask the user to pay significant fees for the non-existent services that the fake technical support experts have provided. All of the information obtained through the phishing elements of the scheme could be packaged and offered for sale to third parties.

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