“This Computer is BLOCKED” (ERROR 268D3) Scam

Threat Summary This Computer is BLOCKED – Distribution Methods “This Computer is BLOCKED” – Analysis Remove “This Computer is BLOCKED” Scam PUP and Stop Ads

This article has been created with the main idea to help you understand what is the “This Computer is BLOCKED” tech support scam and how to remove the unwanted program causing them on your computer.

Yet another tech support scam has been found to roam around in the web. The scam has been detected by Twitter user @Takedownscammer. The scam, called “This Computer is BLOCKED” has been reported to display fake error messages, whose primary goal is to scare users into calling the tech support number. It may also lock the web browsers of victims and then show pop-up that Is very difficult to remove from victim PCs. If you have started seeing the “This Computer is BLOCKED” scam message on your machine, we recommend that you read this article and learn how you can remove those scamming messages thoroughly from your PC.

Threat Summary

Name	"This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam
Type	Fake Tech Support
Short Description	Displays a scamming message whose main goal is to get the victim to call the tech support scammers.
Symptoms	A fake Microsoft Web Page appears, headed “This computer is BLOCKED”. Aims to convince victims to call a fake tech support number.
Distribution Method	Likely caused by a redirect from a compromised website or a PUP installed on the victim PC.
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam.

This Computer is BLOCKED – Distribution Methods

The This Computer is BLOCKED page may start to appear as a result of several possible scenarios. One of them is if you have a PUP (potentially unwanted program), such as adware or browser hijacker that pretends to be a useful program, but comes standard with a lot of advertisements that are added, like browser redirects, pop-ups and banners, one of which may have led your browser to be locked by the “This Computer is BLOCKED” screen. Such programs can be recognized by several symptoms, the main of which include the general computer slowness as well as different types of advertisements appearing on your PC. These unwanted programs are usually spread via various different types of third-party programs downloaded for free from websites that bundle the installers with optional offers.

Another way via which you may have started seeing the “This Computer is BLOCKED” message is if you have visited a compromised website. In some scenarios, cyber-criminals aim to deliberately compromise WordPress sites with low security level and then use this to their benefit by injecting JavaScript code into the WordPress site, which causes web browser redirection to the scamming page, each time you visit the site in question.

“This Computer is BLOCKED” – Analysis

Once you visit the web page, your web browser may become locked and you may start seeing the following page:

The web page also comes embedded with a pop-up that is extremely difficult to close, because it has a script which makes it reopen each time you close it. The pop-up has the following text:

VIRUS ALERT FROM MICROSOFT x
Microsoft Store Products Support “3 “Mp‘m’ b BLOCKED l ERROR 25803 W Sign in
Do not close this window and restart your computer
Your computer‘s registration key is Blocked.
Why we blocked your computer?
The window‘s registration key is illegal.
This window is using pirated software.
This WlfldOW IS sending Virus over the mternet.
This window is hacked or used from undefined location.
We block this computer for your security
Contact microsoft helpline to reactivate you computer.
Microsoft Security Tolfree: +1-855-333-6776

When the tech support number itself is called, users are contacted with tech support “employees” with an Indian accent that often ask victims to give them remote access to their computers. In addition to this, the scammers may also request the victim to pay them a lot of money in order to fix an issue on their PC – an issue that positively does not exist. In addition to this, we have done a check up on the scammers themselves by checking if the number has been reported anywhere and the following reports have come to our attention in relation to 855-333-6776:

Charles
This company is operating a technical support call center that scams customers. They place advertisements on high traffic websites that imply there is something wrong with a user’s computer. Fake pop ups claiming your computer is infected are used to reel in innocent victims. After convincing a user to pay over the phone, the ‘technician’ requests to have remote access to your computer (taking control of it) using logmeinrescue.com. Once logged into your computer, the remote technician will attempt to trick you by fabricating errors or even viruses on your computer.

Clark Roda
He tricked me into paying him 350 CANADIAN DOLLARS.

K
I fell , for the popups on the computer and called, my husband then took over because I was late going somewhere and thank God our credit card company declined the sale. We had someone clean the computer the next day and they didn’t do anything. Again thankful that this computer is used solely for school work.

Remove “This Computer is BLOCKED” Scam PUP and Stop Ads

In case you continue to see advertisements showing the “This Computer is BLOCKED” web page or similar such, we recommend that you remove any programs that might be causing these pop-ups to appear and then installing an adblocked for future protection. One way to try and remove the “This Computer is BLOCKED” is by following the removal instructions underneath this article. They have been created to help you delete these pop-ups either manually or automatically from your PC. Be advised that the best method you can try according to security professionals is to download and run a system scan with an advanced anti-malware software. Such program aims to automatically detect and remove any programs that might be causing such web pages and intrusive ads to appear on your machine.

Ventsislav Krastev

Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.

How to Remove "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam from Windows.

Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter's malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria

1. Hold Windows key() + R

2. The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.

3. Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK".

Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

4. When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.

5. You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.

Step 2: Uninstall "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam and related software from Windows

Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:

1. Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.

2. In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.

3. This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press "Uninstall"

Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.

Step 3: Clean any registries, created by "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam on your computer.

The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:

1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.

2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.

3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.

Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.

IMPORTANT!
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.

Step 4: Scan for "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.

4. After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the 'Next' button.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Get rid of "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam from Mac OS X.

Step 1: Uninstall "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam and remove related files and objects

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your Mac with SpyHunter for Mac

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter for Mac needs to purchased to remove the malware threats. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy

1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:

2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:

3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.

5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.

6: Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.

7: Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:

Go to Finder.
In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.

In case you cannot remove "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam via Step 1 above:

In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:

2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:

3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.

You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:

→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.

Step 2: Scan for and remove "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam files from your Mac

When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.

Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam:

Download

SpyHunter for Mac

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam from Google Chrome.

Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"

Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Erase "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam from Mozilla Firefox.

Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window

Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.

Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Uninstall "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam from Microsoft Edge.

Step 1: Start Edge browser.

Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.

Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".

Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.

Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam from Safari.

Step 1: Start the Safari app.

Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.

Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".

Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.

Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.

Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.

A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam will be removed.

How to Reset Safari
IMPORTANT: Before resetting Safari make sure you back up all your saved passwords within the browser in case you forget them.

Start Safari and then click on the gear leaver icon.

Click the Reset Safari button and you will reset the browser.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Eliminate "This Computer Is BLOCKED" Scam from Internet Explorer.

Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.

Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'

Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.

Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.

Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.