Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam Pop-Up – How to Remove + Fix Your PC

Ventsislav Krastev

Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.

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This article has been created in order to explain what is the Google Chrome Critical ERROR scam message and how to remove it from your computer, plus how to fix it back to a normal working state and protect it.

A new scamming message has been reported by researchers to go by the name Google Chrome Critical ERROR. The scam message aims to convince victims that a virus has attempted to enter your computer via Google Chrome, but it has been blocked by Windows Firewall, however the scam also claims that the personal data on the victim’s computer has been severely compromised and he or she should call a tech support number to solve the issue. The scamming message has been reported to appear as a result of having an unwanted program, causing such pop-ups. This is why, if you see the Google Chrome Critical ERROR scam message, recommendations are to read this article and learn how to remove this scamming redirect from your PC and protect it against future intrusive programs.

Threat Summary

Name	Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam
Type	PUP/Tech Support Scam Pop-up
Short Description	The software that may be causing this scam may pretend to be a helper program or a browser extension but in fact it causes pop-ups, like the Google Chrome Critical ERROR scamming message..
Symptoms	Google Chrome is locked with a tech support scam message which pretends you’re your PC is at risk, asking you to call a tech support number to fix any possible issues.
Distribution Method	Via PUA (Potentially Unwanted Applications), via JavaScript on suspicious sites, as a result of malware on your PC
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam.

Google Chrome Critical ERROR – Update October 2018

The Google Chrome Critical ERROR scam message has been reported to be associated with a scamming network which spread similar types of messages, called the Critical ERROR scams. They are primarily reported to be seen on Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer. The messages are associated with more than one scam number, but the purpose of the scammers remains the same – to pretend to fix issues that do not exist. More information about the Critical ERROR scams in overall can be found on the related article below.

→Related: Critical ERROR “Virus” Page (Fake Red Screen) – How to Get Rid of It

Other Google Chrome Scam Variations

Besides being still as active as ever, the Google Chrome Critical ERROR messages have evolved into different forms of red screen scams. One of them is the fake Yahlover infection pop-up which appears rather similar and has a similar purpose:

Furthermore, the scam has also been spread to other web browsers as well, showing Critical error messages on a web page which pretends to be a flagged website:

The messages go through great extents to display to google what seems to be a web page that is very close to the original one:

Google Chrome Critical ERROR Pop-up – How Did I Get It

The main methods of replication of this pop-up message are several, based on how you have reached it:

• If you have visited a suspicious website, which aims to display advertisements or browser redirects as a result of a JavaScript code, embedded directly in it’s source code.
• If you have downloaded a program, believing it is legitimate, but the program’s installer also comes with an embedded PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) which pretends to be added as a free extra, but is actually aiming to do more indirect harm by redirecting you to third-party sites, like the Google Chrome Critical ERROR.
• If you have added a browser extension to Chrome that is ad supported as a result of already having such an adware program on your PC.

Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam – More Information

Google Chrome Critical ERROR is from the type of fake pop-up alerts which may appear on your Google Chrome browser. The scam has been carefully designed in order to imitate a legitimate warning about you visiting a malicious website – a pop-up that is quite similar to what Google Chrome displays before letting you visit an actual malicious website. Unlike the legitimate warning message however, this message may appear as a browser redirect on your computer and It does not block any type of malicious site, because it’s fake. Here is how close the scamming Google Chrome Critical ERROR message gets in terms of appearance in comparison to the original image:

Google Chrome Critical ERROR is from the tech support scams of the “Critical ERROR” scam family, possibly created by the same scammers. Those types of scamming messages can be seen on different web browsers as well. Some of the web browsers on which the Critical ERROR scamming messages have so far been detected were reported to be the following:

• Internet Explorer.
• Microsoft Edge browser.
• Mozilla Firefox.

Similar to other tech support scams, the Google Chrome Critical ERROR scamming pop-up aims to display a convincing message, that the victim’s computer has been compromised, even though it’s firewall has prevented a virus. The end goal of the scam is to get you to call the tech support number +1(888)-562-5234. Calling the number is strongly inadvisable, since the scammers may pose as legitimate tech support guys and scam you to pay a hefty sum of money for a service that fixes your computer, even though it is not actually broken.

The scamming message of the Google Chrome Critical ERROR scam is the following:

Google Chrome Critical ERROR
There was a dangerous try to get an access to your personal logins & bank information.
Luckily, your Firewall managed to block this suspicious connection-
We recommend you to freeze your accounts until some measures will be taken.
There is a great threat of leaking of your personal data-
50, you need to respond swiftly!
Trojan Virus may have already hurt your hard disk and its data-
That is why we are checking and verifying your current system security-
Do not waste your time and consult one of our service centers or call us.
Contact Number +1 (888) 5635234 (TOLL-FREE)
Your urgent response is needed.
To deal with this problem, contact our network administration-
Call Help Desk
+1 (888) 563-5234

The actual help desk number has been reported by victims at 888notes to be a scamming message which should be ignored. When the victims have called the support number, the scammers pretended to be official Microsoft Tech Support and they scared the victim that they have detected several hundred (over 200) viruses on the computer of the victim. Then, the scammers wanted a large sum of money to be paid (around $800) to fix the issues on the victim’s computer and after some time, they renegotiated the price to fall down to about $100. When the victim refused to pay, the scammers rudely hung up to her.

If you have seen the Google Chrome Critical ERROR scamming message, we strongly suggest that you focus on removing it immediately from your web browser and checking if your computer has been affected by malware.

How to Remove the Google Chrome Critical ERROR Pop-up and Secure Your PC

In order to make sure that you won’t see any of those message, a tradition antivirus might not be able to help you, since those messages are usually displayed by PUA (Potentially Unwanted Applications) that are classified as low level threats which are from the adware/browser hijacker type. This is why, if you want to fully remove the Google Chrome Critical ERROR Pop-up, we advise that you follow the removal instructions underneath. They are made, to help you to remove the Google Chrome Critical ERROR pop-up either manually or automatically. Be advised that experts outline that the most effective tool against all types of malware, including PUA is advanced anti-malware software. Such program will automatically scan your computer and completely secure it against all types of objects that may be causing these pop-ups on your computer system. And not only this, but such software will also make sure that the Google Chrome Critical ERROR scam is permanently gone and your PC is protected against such pop-up displaying software in the future without you having to waste your time on them.

Note! Your computer system may be affected by Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam or other threats.
Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam.
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.

To remove Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam follow these steps:

1. Uninstall malicious programs from Windows

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

How to Uninstall malicious programs 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:

Hold the Windows Logo Button and “R” on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear (fig.1).

In the field type in “appwiz.cpl” and press ENTER (fig.2).

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

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

2. Clean your Browser and Registry from Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam

Remove Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam by cleaning your Browser and Registry.

Remove an extension from Mozilla FirefoxRemove an extension from Google Chrome Remove an extension from Internet Explorer Remove an extension from Microsoft Edge Fix registry entries created by Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam on your PC.

Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window

Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu.

Select the unwanted extension and click “Remove“

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.

Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

Move the cursor over “Tools” and then from the extended menu choose “Extensions“

From the opened “Extensions” menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its “Remove” button.

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.

Start Internet Explorer:

Click on the gear icon labeled ‘Tools’ to open the drop menu and select ‘Manage Add-ons’

In the ‘Manage Add-ons’ window.

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’.

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.

Start Edge

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

From the drop menu select “Extensions”.

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

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

Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.

IMPORTANT!
Before starting the Automatic Removal below, 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.

Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs

3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

Scan your PC and Remove Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data

1. Install SpyHunter to scan for Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove Google Chrome Critical ERROR Scam. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.

Step 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.

Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.

Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.

Step 2: 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.

Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future

IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup .

SOS Online Backup

Ventsislav Krastev

Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.

More Posts - Website

Ventsislav Krastev

Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.

More Posts - Website