I lost $75 to a fake antivirus pop-up last week

I was just browsing a news site and a huge red alert popped up saying my PC was infected. It looked so real, with a fake Windows logo and a loud alarm sound. I panicked and clicked the 'scan now' button, which downloaded a program. It said I needed to pay $75 to remove the 'threats'. I was in a rush and actually put in my card info. The charge went through, but the program did nothing. I felt so dumb. It was just a scam site that made a fake pop-up. I had to cancel my card and call my bank to get the money back. Has anyone else seen these new fake virus alerts that look exactly like Windows Defender?

3 comments

3 Comments

bettyroberts10h ago

Actually, Windows Defender doesn't have loud alarm sounds.

matthew1665h ago

I mean @bettyroberts, mine made my cat jump once.

hannah_perry8h ago

Heard some people get pop-up notifications that make a sound when it finds something.