"Windows Warning Alert" Scam - How to remove

Windows Warning Alert is a page that’s meant to convince the visitor (falsely) that their computer is infected with serious malware and requires urgent actions (the phone number 1-833-262-3836 is highlighted). In fact, this warning is a scam created to sell people fake PC protection. While this warning is crafted for Windows PCs, it’s displayed as it is on other operating systems, including Android and Mac OS.

Windows Warning Alert is a typical tech support scam. This message displays the same message regardless of the state of your computer – after all, it’s just a webpage. It might look scary, with an image of a Windows console with rapidly scrolling lines, an audio recording reading out an ominous warning, and a very plain look suggesting a low-level, technical environment. These types of scams have been around for years, this one is especially similar to the “Microsoft Warning Alert” tech support scam. Evidently, they are successful enough for new ones to be created. A lot of innocent people believe them and even lose money to the fraudsters.

“Windows Warning Alert” fake alert

This is quite an alarming message that Windows Warning Alert displays:

Please call us immediatelly at:
1-833-262-3836
Do not ignore this 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 a Pornographic Spyware and riskware. The following information is being stolen…

As is this one:

Security Warning:

** Windows Warning Alert **

ERROR # 268d3x8938(3)

Please call us immediately at: 1-833-262-3836 (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.

Toll Free: 1-833-262-3836 (Toll Free)

The “Windows Warning Alert” page might even switch your browser to full screen and stop you from closing it, adding to the illusion that this is a warning originating on your computer rather than your browser. It’s possible to create some very realistic fakes of real warnings using the Web, check out “Windows protected your PC“. Some scams have little programs developed for them, like the “Select Region” one. And it can be genuinely difficult to tell if it’s real or not. Luckily, there are a few features of Windows Warning Alert and other fake alerts that are very good signals that you’re being attacked by a scam.

A customer support number being prominently displayed is one such signal. But if you want to be sure, just always research the number before calling it. Usually, someone else has already seen the scam and posted about it online. There are communities dedicated to hunting scams like Windows Warning Alert and spreading awareness about them, and it’s a testament to how widespread the fake alerts are.

An urgent countdown is another sign that this alert is not genuine. In fact, most things that are just meant to make the alert scary: being threatened that your computer will be shut down by Mircosoft – Remotely! Microsoft doesn’t do this.

If you’re not sure what’s happening but suspect some malicious activity, you can just disconnect the internet and turn off your computer. That will pause all the processes, including any malicious ones. Generally, safe mode can be used to try and run your computer when it’s not working correctly. But going this far is not needed to deal with Windows Warning Alert – closing the browser tab should suffice.

How to deal with the “Windows Warning Alert” scam

If you see Windows Warning Alert or a similar webpage or warning, just know that it’s fake. Don’t call the given phone number and definitely don’t reveal your data. Instead, close the page or force your browser to close. If you paid the scammers some amount of money, tell your bank. If you gave the scammers access to your computer, revoke it – uninstall whatever they wanted you to install, or restore your system to a previous state. If you suspect that the scammers got access to some of your data, change your passwords. Tech support scams are dangerous and definitely illegal, don’t trust the fraudsters responsible for Windows Warning Alert to be ethical and considerate.

You might benefit from performing a scan of your computer (Spyhunter) because sometimes these alerts are spread around by adware viruses – programs, usually disguised as some useful utility, that manipulate your browser to show you promoted content, including malicious websites like “Windows Warning Alert”. You might be able to uninstall such programs manually, using the Control Panel.

You can also think about if you regularly visit websites that display a lot of aggressive and dangerous advertisements. It’s almost inevitable that misleading ads on unsafe sites will expose you to malware and scams, so avoiding these ads will allow you to avoid at least some malware and other dangerous content online. Additionally, install all the security updates that are available and scan your computer regularly with a strong antivirus program.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove "Windows Warning Alert" Scam using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like "Windows Warning Alert" Scam 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 "Windows Warning Alert" Scam . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make "Windows 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.