THE SCAM
The pop-up that says your computer is infected.
You're browsing the web when your screen freezes on an alarming warning. It looks like it's from Microsoft Windows: your computer is infected with viruses, and you need to run a scan "to avoid more damage." You can't click away from it.
You call the number on screen. A friendly "technician" says your computer is in serious trouble — but they can fix it right now, for a fee. You hand over your credit card, and they install software that "cleans" your machine.
Nothing was ever wrong with your computer. It was the pop-up itself doing the damage — scaring you into paying for a fix you never needed. The FTC says one of these operations, Reimage, collected more than $30 million from people between 2017 and 2023 this way. On September 4 the FTC announced it had fined the payment company that processed those credit card charges $4.85 million, for helping the scam reach people's wallets.
THE RED FLAG
A warning you can't close is the whole trick. A real security alert never traps you on a page and tells you to call a phone number.
And watch what the "technician" does: their "scan" finds serious problems on every single computer, whether it's healthy or not. That's the sales pitch dressed up as a diagnosis.
THE RULE
If a pop-up says your computer is infected and won't let you leave, don't call the number and don't click anything on it. Shut the page down — if your browser is frozen, restart it or use your task manager to close it.
If you're genuinely worried, run a scan with the security software you already have, on your own terms. And remember: no legitimate company will ever lock your screen and ask for your credit card to fix a virus.
(Source: FTC press releases, September 4, 2026 (Nuvei payment processor settlement) and March 2024 (Reimage scheme))
SIGN-OFF
That's today's red flag. One scam, one red flag, one rule — pass it to someone who clicks first and asks questions later.
Got a scam text or a sketchy email? Send it via the contact page — the best ones make future red flags.