Tech support scam warning signs: what to do when a pop-up says your computer is infected
In 2025, Americans told the FBI they lost $2.1 billion to fake tech and customer support scams.[1] People 60 and older lost about $1.04 billion of it, making it the second most costly scam for older adults.[2] Most of these scams start the same way: a scary warning on the screen and a phone number to call. This guide explains how the scam works, the warning signs to share with parents, grandparents and staff, and exactly what to do if you already called or paid.
How the scam works
A window suddenly fills the screen. It may show a well-known company's logo, flash red, play a loud alarm and say your computer is infected, your files are at risk or your bank account has been hacked. It tells you not to restart or shut down, and to call "technical support" right away.
The person who answers sounds calm and professional. They ask you to install a program so they can "look at" the computer. Once connected, they point at normal system messages and call them proof of a virus. Then they charge you for a repair, a "security plan" or a subscription. Sometimes the story turns into a fake refund: they say they overpaid you and need money sent back, or they hand you to someone posing as your bank or a government agent.[3]
A real case: 7,500 victims, one fake warning
From about 2015 through 2018, a fraud ring based in the United States and India used pop-ups that falsely told people their computers were infected with a virus. Some warned that restarting the computer would cause "complete data loss." Some froze the screen. Some displayed a well-known tech company's logo without permission, but the phone number had nothing to do with that company.[4]
Victims who called paid from several hundred to several thousand dollars. The "technicians" connected remotely and ran a free antivirus tool anyone could download. Some victims were targeted again after they had already paid. In all, the ring took more than $10 million from at least 7,500 people in the U.S. and Canada, many of them elderly.[4]
Romana Leyva of Las Vegas, a leader of the ring who set up shell companies and bank accounts to receive victims' payments, pleaded guilty. In January 2022 a federal judge in Manhattan sentenced her to 100 months in prison and ordered more than $2.7 million in restitution.[4]
The warning signs
If you see any of these, stop. Do not call, click or pay:
- A pop-up gives you a phone number to call. Real security warnings from Microsoft, Apple or your antivirus never ask you to call a number.[3]
- Someone calls, texts or emails out of the blue to say your computer has a problem. Real tech companies do not contact you that way.[3]
- The warning says not to restart or close the window.
- A stranger asks for remote access to "scan" your computer.[3]
- You get a renewal notice for an expensive subscription you don't remember, with a short deadline to call and cancel.[3]
- Someone says they refunded you too much and need you to send the difference back.[3]
- You are asked to pay with gift cards, a wire, a payment app or cryptocurrency. The FTC warns these methods are like paying with cash; the money is hard to get back.[3]
- You are passed to "your bank" or "a federal agent" who says your money must be moved to keep it safe. No real official will ever tell you that.[3]
What to do when the pop-up appears
- Don't call the number and don't click anything inside the warning.
- Close the browser. If it won't close, restart the computer. On a Windows PC you can also press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and open Task Manager to end the browser.
- Still worried? Run the security software you already have, or call a repair shop using a number you looked up yourself.
If you already called, connected or paid
- Hang up and disconnect. Turn off the computer's internet connection so the scammer's remote access stops.
- Remove the program they had you install, update your security software and run a full scan.[3]
- Change your passwords, starting with email and banking, and anywhere you reused the same password. Use a new, strong password for each account.[3]
- Call your bank or card company using the number on your card. Ask them to reverse any charge and watch for new ones.[3]
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. People 60 and older can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.
- Expect a second call. Scammers often return pretending to offer a refund or to "recover" your money for a fee. That is the same scam again.
Simple rules for families and small offices
- One sentence to remember: a real computer warning never asks you to call a phone number.
- Agree on a family check-in rule. Before anyone gives a stranger remote access or pays for a repair, they call a trusted family member. Scammers depend on you acting alone and fast.
- Tell front-desk and billing staff that no IT provider will ever demand gift cards, and that nobody gets in trouble for closing a pop-up and asking first.
Common questions
Can a pop-up really infect my computer?
The warning itself is usually just a web page made to look frightening. Closing the browser ends it. The real danger starts when you call the number or let someone connect.
The caller knew my name and said they were from Microsoft. Is it real?
No. Real tech companies do not call you about problems on your computer.[3] Hang up.
Make the rules stick
Print the free checklist for your office or family. The Scam Rules Card puts the key rules on one page by the phone, and for businesses the Insider Threat Kit adds a self-assessment, verification procedures and a 30-day action plan.
General guidance, not legal or financial advice.
- AARP: FBI Report: Internet Crime Losses Hit $20.9 Billion (FBI 2025 Internet Crime Report figures)
- HousingWire: FBI: Seniors lost $7.75B to cybercrime in 2025
- Federal Trade Commission: How to Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams
- U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York: Las Vegas woman sentenced to prison for $10 million tech support fraud scheme that exploited elderly victims (January 21, 2022)