This article has been created to explain what is the fake Support.microsoft.com tech support scam using the legitimate Microsoft website and to show you how you can remove this scam from your PC completely.
A new scam, from the “Your Computer has Been Blocked” tech support scams has been detected by security researchers. The scam redirects to a website, dubbed ***Attention Required*** on it’s tab and the page shows a pop-up which asks the victim to enter his username and password or call one of it’s tech support numbers, which researchers have detected to be 1844-279-4543. The scam also aims to imitate the official Microsoft Support website and also displays a fake notification that the victim’s computer has been attacked by malware, alongside which is a tech support scamming notification.
Threat Summary
| Name | Support.microsoft.com Scam |
| Type | Tech Support Scam/PUP |
| Short Description | May redirect you to a web page, pretending to be a legitimate Microsoft page. End goal is to scam you out of your data or money. |
| Symptoms | Your web browser may experience a redirect to a web page that may block it. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Support.microsoft.com Scam. |
Support.microsoft.com Scam – How Did I Get It
The main method of propagation which is likely used by this tech support scamming software is likely a potentially unwanted program or a JavaScript type of code both of which have the ability to cause web browser redirects directly on your computer. These programs are often spread as a result of you having to either go on an unsafe and low reputation website or having to download a bundled program. Software bundling is very common when It comes down to PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) and it’s primary purpose is to slither using modified installers of free programs’ setups that are uploaded online. Such programs are often believed to be free media players, torrent downloaders and other free software. Since they cannot easily be found when you download their installers, security experts strongly recommend to always take a look at the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation modes when you install a program. Those unwanted programs usually pretend to help you with your daily software activities whereas in fact they cause browser redirects and notifications to appear on your computer, like the Support.microsoft.com scamming message.
Support.microsoft.com Scam – More About It
As soon as it has been triggered on your computer, the Support.microsoft.com scamming message may display it’s main screen which is basically a fake Microsoft Support web page and looks somewhat like the following:
The screen is dubbed ***Attention Required*** and it may begin to display a sound message, which may read what is written on the pop-up, called “CRITICAL ALERT FROM WINDOWS: YOUR COMPUTER HAS BEEN BLOCKED” which appears after the redirect is introduced on your PC. The pop-up asks the victim to refrain from using internet services and scares him or her that if the computer is shut down or close, the victim risks losing data:
“Please do not use any internet based services to avoid identity thefts.
PLEASE DO NOT SHUT DOWN OR RESTART YOUR COMPUTER DING THT LEAD TO DATA LOSS AND FAILIURE OF OPERATING SYSTEM HENCE NON-BOOTABLE SITUATION RESULTING COMPLETE DATA LOSS”
As soon as this happens, another pop-up is displayed on the browser with the following notification and blank fields with room in them to enter a username and a password:
https://support.microsoft.com is requesting your username and password. The site says:
“Windows and computer has been blocked due to some suspicious activity, to get your computer secure call us immediately on our Toll-free 1844-279-454”
When we checked for this number on websites, we have seen several reports that it was scam-related and after calling the scammers, they pretended to be from Microsoft and asked for an insane sum of money to fix a problem that does not exist and the funny thing is that they were willing to renegotiate the price. Here is what the victim explained in his report:
“this number is a scam.. they pretended to be Microsoft support team and asked to pay 800 dollars to fix my problem after I said I could not pay 800 bucks they narrowed it down to about a $150… then I hung up”
If you see any scams of this type, researchers strongly advise not to call the number mentioned and not to trust any scareware messages that claim your PC will break down and you will lose your data if you close your browser. Instead, it is strongly recommended to remove any unwanted software that may be residing on your computer and causing pop-ups, like the pretending-to-be support.microsoft.com scamming messages.
Remove Fake Support.Microsoft.com Scam Completely
In order to make sure that you do not have any problems of this type in the future, we recommend that you clean up your web browser as well as your computer. You can do this either manually or automatically by following the instructions underneath. To best make sure that your computer is secured against intrusive programs and malware in the future, it is also highly recommended that you remove the Support.microsoft.com scam automatically by scanning your PC with an advanced anti-malware program which will detect any unwanted software that may be causing such redirects.
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.
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- Windows
- Mac OS X
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- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove Support.microsoft.com Scam from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for Support.microsoft.com Scam with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall Support.microsoft.com 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:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by Support.microsoft.com Scam on Your PC.
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 Support.microsoft.com Scam there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
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.
Video Removal Guide for Support.microsoft.com Scam (Windows).
Get rid of Support.microsoft.com Scam from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Support.microsoft.com Scam and remove related files and objects
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 Support.microsoft.com Scam. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- 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 Support.microsoft.com 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:
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 Support.microsoft.com Scam files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Support.microsoft.com 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.
Video Removal Guide for Support.microsoft.com Scam (Mac)
Remove Support.microsoft.com 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.
Erase Support.microsoft.com 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.
Uninstall Support.microsoft.com 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.
Remove Support.microsoft.com 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 Support.microsoft.com Scam will be removed.
Eliminate Support.microsoft.com 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.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
Support.microsoft.com Scam-FAQ
What Is Support.microsoft.com Scam?
The Support.microsoft.com Scam threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What Are the Symptoms of Support.microsoft.com Scam?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your device can be rogue antivirus software, adware, browser hijackers, clickers, fake optimizers and any forms of PUPs.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like Support.microsoft.com Scam?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does Support.microsoft.com Scam Work?
Once installed, Support.microsoft.com Scam can collect data using trackers. This data is about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. It is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
Support.microsoft.com Scam can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is Support.microsoft.com Scam Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the Support.microsoft.com Scam Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Support.microsoft.com Scam how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on Support.microsoft.com Scam?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the Support.microsoft.com Scam threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.