Fake Windows Security Alert and Locked Browser Page by email

How it looks by email, the red flags and what to do.

Email is slower than SMS, so these scams usually pretend to be a bill, a refund, an account lock or a job offer and ask you to log in or open a file. 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 by email

• A login page that opens from the email and asks for your password and OTP.
• A sender address that is almost, but not exactly, the real domain.
• A button that says "Verify account" or "View invoice".

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 email

• 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.
• Hover over the link: the address does not match the company website.
• The email asks you to log in through the link rather than through the official app.

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. If you typed a password on the page, change it at once and turn on two-step verification.
5. Do not open the attachment and do not press the button.
6. Go to the company website by typing it yourself and check your account there.

Use Report phishing in your email app. If money or accounts are affected, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.

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, phone call, social media.

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