Remove Fake pop-up or tech support scam messages that warn the computer is infected
What are Fake Pop-up or Tech Support Scam?
A fake pop-up or a tech support scam is a form of Internet fraud that is currently gaining momentum on the Internet. The scam implements social engineering and fear tactics in order to get the victim to take the bait. Some fraudulent companies use fake pop-up warnings that claim your computer is infected with a virus. These Pop-ups are made to look like a Norton virus scan alert or other types of legitimate security warning.
There are many ways that these types of scams are executed. To know more about these scams, read Technical support scams and how to avoid them.
Why do I receive these Fake pop-up messages?
The main motives behind these fake pop-up or scams are to extort the victim to gain money as well as installing malware such as key loggers or backdoor Trojans in order to gain access to personal information.
How to Identify and Avoid Fake Pop-Up and Tech Support Scams?
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Examine the message closely; look for obvious signs of fraud such as poor spelling, unprofessional imagery, and bad grammar.
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Do an Internet search for the phone number that is listed in the pop up to verify its legitimacy.
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You will never receive an unsolicited call from Norton Support to fix issues with your computer. You will only receive a call if you have requested for it.
How to get official Norton Support?
Official Norton Support is always free to current subscribers.
STEP 1
Run Full System Scan
You can perform a scan with your Norton product to detect and resolve the changes made or misleading application installed by the Fake pop-up and tech support scams.
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Start Norton.
If you see the My Norton window, next to Device Security, click .
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In the main window, double-click , and then click .
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When Norton LiveUpdate is finished, click .
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Run LiveUpdate until you see the message, "Your Norton product has the latest protection updates."
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Exit all the programs, and restart the computer.
STEP 2
Run the Norton Power Eraser - Free virus and malware removal tool
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Download Norton Power Eraser.
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Click .
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Select the location as Desktop, and then click .
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To run Norton Power Eraser, double click the file.
If the User Account Control window prompts, click or .
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Read the license agreement, and click .
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In the Norton Power Eraser window, click the icon.
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By default, Norton Power Eraser performs a Rootkit scan and requires a system restart. When you see a prompt to restart the computer, click . If you do not want to include the Rootkit scan, go to , and uncheck the option .
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After the computer is restarted, the scan starts automatically. Follow the on-screen instructions.
STEP 3
Scan and Remove Misleading application with Norton Power Eraser
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In the Norton Power Eraser window, click the icon.
When Norton Power Eraser completes the scan, the results are displayed in the Unwanted Apps Scan Complete window.
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In the Unwanted Apps Scan Complete window, next to the unwanted application or toolbar, click .
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Follow the on-screen instructions.
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When the uninstall completes, restart the computer.
STEP 4
Check for incorrect DNS settings
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Press the + keys to open the Run dialog box.
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Type in the following text, and then press .
control
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Click the icon, and then click . In the left pane, click .
On Windows XP: Double-click the icon.
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Right-click the network adapter that is currently active, and then click .
If the User Account Control prompt appears, click or .
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In the Network Connection Properties window, under "This connection uses the following items", click or .
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Click .
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In the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties window, on the General tab, check the DNS server settings.
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If Use the following DNS server addresses radio button is selected, check the server addresses. Make sure that the DNS server addresses displayed are the same that are provided to you by your Internet service provider or your network administrator.
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If the DNS server address starts with 85.255.11x.x, then it is more likely that the DNS cache has been poisoned as the result of a Pharming attack.
STEP 5
Backup Bookmarks and favorites
Take a backup of your bookmarks and favorites before resetting the browser settings.
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Depending on your browser, do one of the following:
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For Microsoft Internet Explorer: Click and select . Select , and click . Select , and click . Select the folder, and click . Click to select a location to export the file, and click .
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For Microsoft Edge: On the top-right corner, click the icon, and select . Under Import favorites and other info, click . Under Import or export a file, click . Select a location to export the file, and click .
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For Google Chrome: On the top-right corner, click icon, and click and then . In the Bookmark Manager page, click on and select . Select a location to export the file, and click .
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For Mozilla Firefox: Click the icon and select . In the Library window, click , and select . Select a location to export the file, and click .
STEP 6
Reset browser settings
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Scammers generally install a new toolbar in your browsers and change your default search engine setting to a third-party search engine. Reset the browser settings to completely remove the unwanted toolbars and search engines.
Depending on your browser, do one of the following:
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Start Internet Explorer.
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Click 
, and then click .
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In the Internet Options window, on the Advanced tab, under Reset Internet Explorer settings, click .
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In the Reset Internet Explorer Settings window, select .
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Click .
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Click and then click .
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Restart the computer to apply the changes.
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Start Google Chrome.
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On the top-right corner, click 
, and click .
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Click .
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Under Reset settings, click .
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In the Reset settings window, click .
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Start Mozilla Firefox.
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On the top-right corner, click 
, and then click 
.
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On the Help menu, select .
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In the Troubleshooting Information window, click .
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In the confirmation window, click .
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Click .
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Click , click , and then click .
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In the Time range to clear drop-down, select .
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Select all options, and click .
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Start Microsoft Edge.
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On the top-right corner, click 
, and select .
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Under Clear browsing data, click .
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Select , , , and .
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Click .
Thank you!
Thank you for using Norton Support.
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DOCID: v122764455_EndUserProfile_en_us
Operating System: Windows
Last modified: 11/07/2018
