Fake Windows Security Alert and Locked Browser Page on social media

How it looks on social media, the red flags and what to do.

Social media scams use real-looking profiles, reels, ads and direct messages. The account may look old, and the comments may be bought. 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 on social media

• A direct message from a stranger, a "brand" or a "recruiter".
• A giveaway that asks you to pay a small fee or share a code.
• An ad with a celebrity face and a payment link.

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 social media message

• 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.
• The account asks you for money after a short friendly chat.
• A stranger moves the chat to WhatsApp or Telegram.

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. Do not pay, share codes or move to another app.
5. Check the account: when it was created, who follows it, and whether the real brand links to it from its own website.
6. Report the account or ad inside the app and block it.

Use Report on the profile, post or ad. If money was lost, 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, email.

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