'Warning! Your computer may be infected' Pop-Up
There have been various reports about Web browsers being interrupted by the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up, a fake error message used to trick inexperienced computer users. The 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up is designed to appear to be associated with a legitimate security firm. However, the people responsible for the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up are actually marketers or other persons attempting to milk money from inexperienced computer users. Potentially Unwanted Programs associated with the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up may cause a variety of other symptoms on affected computers, such as browser redirects, performance issues and changes to the affected Web browsers' settings.
The Goals of the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' Pop-Up
The presence of the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up may not indicate that the affected computer has been compromised. The 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up may also appear on Web browsers when computer users visit Web pages that have been compromised or that contain potentially unsafe content. An affected Web browser may be also affected by a redirect or open a new tab with content similar to the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up. It is important to ignore all the content on the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up's message and to avoid calling the phone number on this message. The 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up is not a legitimate message; instead the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up is used as a part of a known online misleading tactic. The full text of the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up reads as follows:
'Warning: CPU Virus Alert
Your computer may be infected. System detected 2 Potentially Malicious Viruses: Rootkit.Sirefef.Spy and Trojan.FakeAV-Download. Your personal and financial information may not be safe. To remove viruses, call Tech Support Online Now: 1(888) 643-9730.'
When computer users call the number in the 'Warning! Your Computer May Be Infected' pop-up message, the person on the other end of the line may try to extract privileged information or gain access to the affected computer.