Malware
Scareware (fake virus alert)
In Turkish: Sahte virüs uyarısı (scareware)
A pop-up or page claiming your device is infected, built to scare you into installing something or calling a number.
A web page cannot look inside your phone, so a message in a browser saying that viruses were found is an advert or a trap. It may flash, play a siren and show a phone number to call or a button to "clean" the device.
The button installs the real problem, and the phone number leads to a scammer who asks for money or remote access. Closing the tab, or the browser, is safe and costs nothing.
What to do
- Close the tab or the browser. If it will not close, restart the device.
- Do not call numbers or install "cleaners" from a pop-up.
- Run your built-in security scan from the system itself if you are worried.
Related terms
Learn it in the Academy
Try it
Free tools that put this to use.
- Website security check
Grade a website's security headers, HTTPS and protection against forged email.