Scareware is a type of malware that scares you into downloading software or visiting websites that give your device viruses. Some scareware scams involve complex pop-ups, messages, phone calls and more to make it seem more real.
Some common scareware scam tactics include:
- Fake Pop-Up Windows: A fake pop-up window that often looks like antivirus software warnings and says you have a virus or infected files on your device. The objective of these pop-ups is to get you to click on a button to download malware.
- Spam Emails: Emails can also contain scareware. These emails often look like they are from a trustworthy person or organization and tell you to quickly follow links or download attachments to get antivirus software.
- “Tech Support” Calls: Tech support scam callers often start by telling you that suspicious activity has been detected on your device. They use this to ask you for personal information such as passwords, Multi-Factor Authentication codes, or answers to your security question so that the caller can “investigate the problem”.
For more information about scareware, please review this article from Microsoft.
If you think you have scareware on your device, contact the UWM Help Desk.