How to Fix: Your Computer is Infected, Call This Number (Scam)
Infopackets Reader John P. writes:
" I just upgraded to Windows 10. Yesterday I went to go use the Edge browser, but it immediately opened with window stating that my computer has a serious virus and then asked me to call 866-628-4936 to remove the virus. The whole time the window was open, there was a computer-generated voice speaking to me. I realize this is a scam, but there is no close button to shut it off. [Other numbers associated with this scam include: 1-866-928-0684, 1-866-436-9418, 1-866-978-1337, 1-866-560-5093, 1-866-362-8280, 1-866-453-2895, 1-866-594-0204, and 1-866-582-6865]. I have tried using ccleaner to clear my browser history, ran virus scans, and even used malwarebytes antimalware - but nothing was found out of the ordinary. I have checked several forums but no one apparently has had their browser locked down this tight. Can you help? "
My response:
What you're describing is a scam that is run by very large criminal organizations in India. These people are pure evil and will do everything they can to take your money with or without your authorization! The scam goes way beyond losing money for fake tech support - they will scam you for thousands of dollars, delete all your files / lock you out of the machine / wire your money to a bank overseas. Read here for more info!
READ VERY CAREFULLY:
- If you did not call the phone number and you did not
let the scammers into your machine, keep reading. I will describe how to
forcefully close these fake virus alert windows so that you can keep using
your PC. That said, if the alerts keep re-appearing, it likely means that
your machine is infected. Click here to
contact me now if you need
help removing the infection. Based on my experience, 99.99% of all antivirus
and antimalware will not remove these persistent infections - but
feel free to try!
- If you called the 1-800 number, you are at major risk of identity
theft / having your bank accounts drained.
Please read this article for the most up to date information, as it contains
critical information about the scam.
Update 20210318: I'm getting a lot of emails from folks asking for help on this. If you want this problem fixed ASAP, send me an email and don't forget to leave your phone number. I will call you back as soon as possible.
Also, VERY IMPORTANT: do not call your bank to dispute any charges until you speak to me first, otherwise YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR MONEY BACK. I've been dealing with financial institution bureaucracy for the last 7 years and I can count on one hand the number of clients that actually got their money back by reporting fraud in this manner. I know a way around this, and am exceptionally good at getting client's money back - but this also depends on the circumstances and method of payment. Contact me now for a free phone consultation and I'll give you my opinion if you're not sure.
Forcefully Close the Scam Window
If you didn't call the 1-800 number and you didn't let the scammers into your machine, but you are still seeing the "virus warning" message appear on your computer, there is a way to get around the "warning" message. Note that if your machine is infected, you will likely see these warnings re-appear. In this case, the fix I'm about to describe is only a temporary workaround.
As I mentioned earlier, once these scam website pages are displayed, the close or minimize / maximize buttons are removed from the browser page. To close the "Your Computer is Infected" window, do the following:
- Press CTRL + ALT + DEL on the keyboard to bring up the Windows Task Manager.
- Once Task Manager has started, go to the Details tab on Windows 8 and 10 (or Processes tab on Windows 7 and earlier) and click on the Name heading so that the processes are sorted by Name.
- Look for the name of your web browser in the Names column. If you are using Firefox, then the task name would be firefox.exe; if you were using Chrome, then the task(s) would be labeled as chrome.exe; for Edge the task would be labeled as MicrosoftEdge.exe; for Internet Explorer, the task would be labeled as iexplorer.exe.
- Using your mouse, left click over top of the browser task name to highlight it, then right click over top of the highlighted task and select "End task". There may be more than one browser task listed; in this case you will need to end them all in order to uninstall any rogue software associated with the browser (described in Step #2 below).
Did you Let the Scammers into Your Machine?
Once again - if you let the scammers inside of your machine, you will undoubtedly have MULTIPLE well-hidden remote access programs installed, which means that the scammers can get back into the PC and spy on you / order things on Amazon without your authorization / get into your online banking / set up bitcoin accounts in your name / drain your bank accounts - the list goes on!
Don't believe me? Read this page here that details an elderly lady that got scammed for a whopping $140,000 just this past January! These people are PURE EVIL and will do everything they can to take your money.
If you let the scammers in your machine, email me now to set up an appointment and I will clean the machine for you. I will also advise you on how to get your money back and keep your money safe moving forward. There are no guides on the Internet that will explain how to do this because each group of cyber criminals use different techniques / malicious programs / remote access programs when in contact with their victims. Trust me when I say this, because I've been dealing with this scam and other scams (such as the Facebook Blackmail and Google Hangout Blackmail scam) for over 7 years and I've come across over 28 remote access programs to date and just as many malicious programs that are capable of reinfecting the machine.
You may also click here to read my credentials - they are the real deal.
Additional 1-on-1 Help: From Dennis
If all of this is over your head, or if you have a severe malware infection, you can contact me for remote desktop support. I can connect to your computer using the Internet and fix the problem for you automatically. You can read more about my remote desktop support service here.
Got a Computer Question or Problem? Ask Dennis!
I need more computer questions. If you have a computer question -- or even a computer problem that needs fixing -- please email me with your question so that I can write more articles like this one. I can't promise I'll respond to all the messages I receive (depending on the volume), but I'll do my best.
About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.
My name is Dennis Faas and I am a senior systems administrator and IT technical analyst specializing in cyber crimes (sextortion / blackmail / tech support scams) with over 30 years experience; I also run this website! If you need technical assistance , I can help. Click here to email me now; optionally, you can review my resume here. You can also read how I can fix your computer over the Internet (also includes user reviews).
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Comments
How to Fix: Your Computer is Infected
Excellent write up Dennis. Thanks
Your Computer is infected.
The Edge browser default is to open the last window it had open if it was shut down abnormally. So the next time you open it, you will be right back where you started. I had a customer with that problem and it took a registry edit (non trivial) to stop that behavior.
Your Computer is infected
On a number of systems I found that the only thing it did was change the default home page to theirs.
So in addition to the fine instructions Dennis gave, be sure to check the default home page.
Your computor is Infected.
If your main browser has become infected you'll be in a fix since you can't access Google like you suggest! This backs up the need to have at least two browsers on your machine!
Modifying infected browser
If you remove the malware which prevents the browser from being modified then you should be able to control the browser afterward, as suggest in the article. Hint: CTRL + T usually opens up a new tab, allowing you to navigate normally even if you can't access parts of the browser. And yes, having more than one browser is a good idea for cases like this.
virus
Don't want to over hype this because it might sound fake. But the fact of the matter is that Dennis's service and demeanor are great. I filled out his "form" yesterday asking for help for an 81 year old friend of mine who called me about a virus that had taken over his computer. Dennis and I exchanged emails and then had a phone conversation...this was yesterday. Today Dennis remotely cleaned up my friend's computer and my friend is back up and running.
Hours after Dennis had "fixed" my friend's computer Dennis called me and discussed what he had done.....I just got off the phone with him. This guy is legit. If your computer gets infected by a virus I strongly recommend Dennis. No doubt there are all sorts of people out there claiming they can deal with whatever virus has compromised your computer, but this guy really can.