Microsoft Warning Alert scam - How to remove

Microsoft Warning Alert is a scam targeting Windows users, scareware trying to trick people into believing that their computer is in critical condition. The warning should be ignored. On its own, Microsoft Warning Alert is not dangerous. But in the worst cases, contacting the scammers and following all their instructions can end up with hundreds of dollars lost and your privacy being compromised.

What Microsoft Warning Alert does

An alert with some concerning text pops up, a sound is played, and a picture of the Windows Defender (the default Windows antivirus program) is shown with a few viruses detected. Some warnings like these play the audio reading out the warning text.

Microsoft Warning Alert tries to threaten you that if you close the window, you’ll lose access to your computer (which is a lie), that your computer has alerted them about spyware (they’re making it up), and that your credit card details are being stolen (they’re the ones who want to steal that data). Finally, you’re told to call a number that supposedly belongs to Microsoft (it doesn’t).

As soon as you see Microsoft Warning Alert, know that it’s not authentic and the safest thing to do is to ignore the alert and close the browser:

Behavior	The screen is locked. Warnings about an ongoing cyber attack. Microsoft’s name is used.
Cause	Malicious ads. Adware viruses.
Response	Don’t contact the scammers. Don’t reveal any private data. Don’t follow the instructions of fake tech support.
Removal	Exit the browser (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). Remove adware (Spyhunter).

** Microsoft Warning Alert **
ERROR # 268d3x8938(3)

Please call us immediately at:
1-844-517-3777 (Toll Free)
Do not ignore this critical alert.
If you close this page, your computer access will be disabled to prevent further damage to our network.
Your computer has alerted us that it has been infected with Spyware and riskware. The following information is being stolen…

1. Facebook Logins
2. Credit Card Details
3. Email Account Logins
4. Photos stored on this computer

Please call us within the next 5 minutes to prevent your computer from being disabled or from information loss.

Call Microsoft: 1-844-517-3777 (Toll Free)

How to know that it’s fake

It is easy to create a window like the one of Microsoft Warning Alert  on your own, without any special software. Unfortunately, a lot of scammers have done just that and now new fake spyware alerts, virus detections, and pornographic virus warnings are popping up online, causing people unnecessary stress and wasting their time.

The first and simplest way to tell that Microsoft Warning Alert is a fake warning is the fact that a website simply cannot know if your computer has malware. Websites are not allowed to access your files unless you give them explicit permission (for example, you choose a file and upload it). So all those alerts are no more than tricks.

Some scammers might find it funny to scare people. However, warnings like Microsoft Warning Alert should be taken seriously because they are a part of a scam that tricks people out of their money and valuable information. And, indeed, the scammers take them seriously — there are offices full of fake tech support employees, calling people and spinning tales about their infected, spyware-laden computer.

Tech support scammers try to make you believe that their computer is infected and in critical condition. To position themselves as an authority and gain trust, the scammers use the Microsoft name. In reality, the company has absolutely nothing to do with the Microsoft Warning Alert. In fact, Microsoft has been trying to curb tech support impersonators. Though Microsoft Warning Alert and many other warnings use Microsoft to prop themselves up, there are scams for Apple and various antivirus companies, too.

If you are convinced of the authenticity of the Microsoft Warning Alert, then the cybercriminals try to sell you an expensive “solution” (I’ve seen $200 cited, but often they try to sell you long term plans with multiple payments for thousands of dollars) to the nonexistent problems. The scammers convince their victims to give access to their computers by installing remote control programs. This enables the criminals to see all the victim’s files and install any software. Meanwhile, the victim still believes Microsoft Warning Alert to have been authentic and the scammer to be trustworthy.

What caused you to see the Microsoft Warning Alert

Although the warning itself is not dangerous and can be safely ignored, it is important to learn what caused you to visit the page. Adware or some browser hijackers could have directed you to the website. Someone might have also posted links to it online. Adware and browser hijackers are able to take control over your browser and open websites against your will, so new tabs and unfamiliar pages being opened is a symptom of some genuine malware infection. This doesn’t mean that Microsoft Warning Alert knew what it was talking about, rather, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy: malware invites more malware.

However, the most common way that the alert pops up seems to be when people are clicking on advertisements. If alerts like this show up regularly, consider changing your browsing habits. Do pages like this one appear when you are browsing some specific site? It’s possible that either the ads, or the website is infected. Malvertising is used to spread some quite dangerous viruses, like the recent Seon locker, and it can’t be stopped by any conventional antivirus program.

How to remove Microsoft Warning Alert

Ignore the warning. If the Microsoft Warning Alert is preventing you from closing the browser, you can open Task Manager (hold Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to and quit your browser from there. Rest assured that if you did not contact the scammers and just ignored the warning, they have no access to your computer. It’s probably all okay.

But what if you did call the phone number, followed the instructions, and already granted the scammers access to your PC? You should first disconnect the computer from the internet. The scammers cannot access your computer if the machine is offline. Change all your passwords, uninstall whatever software the scammers had you install (you can do that through the Control Panel), and, if your credit card information has been compromised, contact your bank and tell them about what happened.

Scan your machine with a powerful antivirus program, for example, Spyhunter. Some cybercriminals like leaving spyware and other unwanted software on your computer. It’s important to remove it to avoid future infections.

Don’t trust warnings like Microsoft Warning Alert in the future. Be aware that there are fraudsters out there trying to profit from people illegally. Instead of calling tech support right away, look up the phone number and the text of the warning. Ask for more details in official support forums of your operating system, antivirus programs, or whatever other authority the warning is claiming.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove Microsoft Warning Alert scam using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Microsoft warning alert install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to Microsoft spyware Alert . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Microsoft Warning Alert scam easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.