Fake Windows Security Alert and Locked Browser Page over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

A phone call lets the scammer talk fast, sound confident and keep you from thinking. The caller ID can be faked, so it proves nothing. Fake Windows Security Alert and Locked Browser Page is one of the ways this shows up: A full-screen 'Windows security alert' locks your browser and shows a helpline. The page is fake and the agent aims to take control of your PC.

What fake windows security alert and locked browser page looks like over the phone

• Being told to stay on the line and not to tell your family.
• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.
• A second "senior officer" who takes over the call.

The set-up is an ad or redirect that opens a page in full-screen mode. The page plays an audio warning, shows fake error codes and uses logos that copy a known software company. It may add a fake 'account locked' text and a timer. Because the browser appears frozen, many people cannot see how to close it and panic. Others try to restart, only to find it returns when the browser reopens the last tab.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• A full-screen page with sirens and a phone number says your computer is blocked.
• The page tries to stop you from closing it.
• The agent says criminals are using your computer right now.
• You are asked to start a remote session or run commands he dictates.
• You are asked to move money to a "safe account".
• You are told to keep the call secret.

What to do

1. Close the browser by using the task manager or by holding the power button if needed, then reopen without restoring tabs.
2. Do not call the number on the page.
3. Run your computer's built-in security scan and update the system.
4. Call the bank or office on the number printed on your card, bill or official app, not on a number the caller gave.
5. Never share an OTP or PIN. No genuine staff member needs it.
6. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in if you paid or shared bank details.
2. Call your bank with the number on your card and ask them to block cards and watch the account.
3. Change email, bank and shopping passwords from a different device.
4. Ask a trusted technician to check the computer for remote tools or unknown programs.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio Sentinel is an Android app and does not scan Windows computers. If the scam sends links or texts to your phone, Link check and Scam check can help you spot the warning signs. Phone scan can show any unfamiliar remote-access app installed on your phone, and Safeavio's desktop apps are unsigned pre-releases, so use your computer's own security tools for a PC.

Full guide: Fake Windows Security Alert and Locked Browser Page: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: fake app, email, social media.

Questions