Error Code O1AAT Scam - How to remove

Error code O1AAT has been used by a few instances of a tech support scam. This one uses the phone number 0800-368-9743. The Error code O1AAT alerts are made by people trying to scare you. Tech support scams like Error code O1AAT can cost money and privacy. If you get a pop-up saying “A virus has been detected on your computer” and that you have five minutes to call the phone number or else your computer will be “deactivated”, ignore it. Just close the page.

About the Error code O1AAT scam:

Type of threat	Scam.
Dangers of the scam	Loss of money, leaked private information, wasted time.
The structure of the Error code O1AAT scam	Scammers create webpages with fake but scary security warnings, the pop-ups get advertised online and hijack the browser, they show a warning that your security is compromised and that you must call the provided phone number, a scammer pretends to be tech support and tries to lure out as much personal information as possible.
Dealing with the Error code O1AAT scam	Close the page, check your device with antivirus programs (Spyhunter for PC, Combo Cleaner for Mac, etc.), secure your accounts.

About the Error code O1AAT scam

An alarmist warning

When you come across the Error code O1AAT scam, you’re greeted by a message similar to this:

A virus has been detected on your computer.

Do not restart your computer.

A virus has been detected on your computer.

The infections detected indicate some malicious downloads from the internet that have caused serious problems to your computer.

Call Us Apple Support 0800-368-9743 Please contact technical support and report the following error code to a technician to repair your computer: O1AAT.

Signs that it’s a fake

This is a scam through-and-through. There are both Mac and Windows versions. They can appear on any computer, even on a clean one. The warnings are just static pages that some random scammer wrote up. Here are the signs that Error code O1AAT warnings are fake:

• “O1AAT” does not seem to be a real error code of any program, especially not Windows nor macOS. You can find this by looking it up online. Just type in “Error code O1AAT” (without quote marks). There is nothing special about the code “O1AAT” – somebody just made it up. Occasionally, though, scammers may use real error codes in their fake warnings.
• “0800-368-9743” is not an official tech support phone number. It’s not associated with Windows or macOS. You can also find that by looking it up.
• The Error code O1AAT warning page threatens that you’ll lose access to your computer in 5 minutes. This never happens with legitimate warnings, ever. Error code O1AAT does it to scare you, stress you out, and stop you from asking for advice and from looking things up.
• The scam gives obviously bad advice. The text of the Error code O1AAT scam tells you to not turn off your computer. That makes no sense: if your computer was infected with serious malware, like an info stealer or ransomware, turning it off is the best thing to do to protect your data.
• The Error code O1AAT scam is hosted on a fake Microsoft or Apple website or shows a fake error list. These sites are usually very simplistic, with fake menus and no interactive elements.

Dangers of tech support scams

To stop you from closing the page, the Error code O1AAT scam tries to threaten you, saying that your computer will be disabled:

Do not ignore this important warning. Closing this page will disable access to your computer to avoid further damage to your network.

Threats and fake urgency are very common with scams. Normal security warnings try to inform about a potential danger you while letting you choose how to deal with it. The Error code O1AAT scam, on the other hand, threatens that your data and files are in danger if you don’t call the number. That’s because the Error code O1AAT page is harmless on its own, the real scam starts when you call the number and contact the fake tech support. If you get out before that point, you’re safe.

Check out what Microsoft and Apple have to say about tech support scams and other scams: Support.microsoft.com, Support.apple.com.

Calling the number given by the Error code O1AAT page leads to a scammer who tries to get your credit card number and get access to your computer. How ironic that the Error code O1AAT scam brings about exactly the problem that it made up to scare people.

Dealing with the scam

Close malicious pop-ups

If you just saw the site and then got out, you’re okay. The Error code O1AAT scam works by tricking people to let malicious actors access their computer. The first pop-up is harmless.

Closing malicious pop-ups can be tricky when their creators deliberately make them hard to close. For example, Error code O1AAT keeps showing a pop-up that, if you dismiss it, pops up again. Still, you can close it, though. It’s good to remember a few keyboard shortcuts to use:

• On Windows, Alt+Enter switches a window between full-screen and windowed mode. On Mac, it’s Cmd+Ctrl+F. Use this to get your browser out of full screen if it’s stuck. Then close the malicious tab by pressing the little ‘X’ button at the top.
• You can close a tab, too. On Windows, press Alt+F4. On macOS, it’s Cmd+W.
• As a last resort, you can force your browser to quit. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. On macOS, Cmd+Alt+Esc. This will bring up a window where you need to select your browser and then end it by pressing the button in the lower right corner.

Remove all malware

Whether you ignored the “A virus has been detected on your computer” scam or went through with contacting the fake support, it is a good idea to scan your computer for malware. Use an antivirus program that you trust (Spyhunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for macOS, others) and check its scan results.

If you did call the tech support people behind Error code O1AAT, they may have tried to get you to download and install some stuff, possibly through Fastsupport, Helpme.net, or a similar site. Whatever this person installed or made you install, get rid of it. Anything that was installed around the time that the Error code O1AAT scam showed up or that was flagged by an antivirus scanner should be deleted.

Secure your information

Just in case you gave the scammers access to your computer or even your payment information, here are a few things that you need to do (after deleting malware):

• Change your passwords. Set new passwords for your most important online accounts and make sure that they have 2-factor authentication enabled. This way, even if somebody stole your passwords, they can’t steal your accounts.
• If the people behind Error code O1AAT have your payment information, call your bank and tell them everything that happened. They should know how to take care of the situation.
• If the people behind Error code O1AAT got your information (name, email address), be alert. Be careful of other scams. People may try to call your number or send you messages. Spear phishing is the term.

Automatic Malware removal tools