The Pop-Up That Takes Over Your Screen

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A pop-up fills your screen. Your computer is infected, it says. Don't restart, and call this number now. Except that pop-up is the scam. Before you dial, close it, and if you're worried, type the company's real website yourself. Here is how it works, and the one move that stops it.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams … Real security pop-up warnings and messages will never ask you to call a phone number.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

0:50.97

The FTC is blunt about this. A real security warning will never ask you to call a phone number, and a real company will not call you, about a problem you never reported.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams … Legitimate tech companies won't contact you by phone, email, or text message to tell you there's a problem with your computer.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

1:03.48

Strip this tech-support scam down, and it moves in three steps.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

1:08.88

First, it scares you. A pop-up, or a caller, says your computer is infected, and warns you not to restart. Fear makes you call the number they gave.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams … Real security pop-up warnings and messages will never ask you to call a phone number.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

1:19.90

Second, it gets inside. The technician asks to remote in to fix it. That hands them your screen, your files, and anything you sign into.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams … they ask for remote access to your computer and pretend to scan it for viruses.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

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Third, it takes your money in a way you can't get back. A fake fee, or a refund that's suddenly too big, and they beg you to send the difference back, in gift cards.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams … They say they refunded you too much money and insist you pay them back with gift cards, a wire transfer, a bank transfer, cryptocurrency, or a payment app.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

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Here is the line that gives it away. A real security warning will never ask you to call a phone number. And a real company will never take remote control to hand you a refund, or ask to be paid in gift cards. The alert itself is the scam.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams … Real security pop-up warnings and messages will never ask you to call a phone number.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

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So here is the check that breaks their control. You do not have to judge whether the alert is real. Close the pop-up. And a practical note of our own, not agency guidance. If it will not close, restarting the computer is safe. Then if you're worried, open a browser and type the company's real website yourself. Never the number on the screen. Reach the company on a path you chose, and the alert has nothing left.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams … contact the company directly using a phone number you know is real. Do not use the number included in the message.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

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First, the move that ends it. If you have not called, or given anyone access, close the pop-up and walk away. Don't call, and don't pay. But if you already called, gave remote access, or sent money, stay with me. What you do next depends on what happened.

What To Do if You Were Scammed

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed checked 3 Sep 2026

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Recovery is never guaranteed, but it is always worth asking. So act now, and act by what you gave them.

What To Do if You Were Scammed

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed checked 3 Sep 2026

3:05.04

If you gave remote access. Update your security software, then run a scan, and delete anything it finds. Then change your passwords, and turn on two-factor authentication.

you gave a scammer access to your computer or phone … Update your security software to make sure you have the latest protections... Run a scan and delete anything it identifies as a problem... Change your passwords and turn on two-factor authentication to protect your accounts.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed checked 3 Sep 2026

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If you paid in gift cards. Call the company that issued the card, using the number on the card. Say it was used in a scam, and ask for your money back. Keep the card and the receipt.

What To Do if You Were Scammed

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed checked 3 Sep 2026

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If you paid by card. Contact your card issuer immediately, on a number you know is real. Report the fraud, and ask them to reverse the charge.

Report it to the credit card issuer immediately... Ask them to refund your money. … Report it to your bank or credit union immediately... Ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed checked 3 Sep 2026

3:39.48

If you paid by bank transfer. Contact your bank or credit union immediately, on a number you know is real. Report the fraud, and ask whether the payment can be recalled or reimbursed.

Report it to the credit card issuer immediately... Ask them to refund your money. … Report it to your bank or credit union immediately... Ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed checked 3 Sep 2026

3:51.89

If you sent a wire. Contact the wire transfer company immediately. Western Union, MoneyGram, whichever you used. Tell them a scammer tricked you into sending money, and ask them to refund it.

Report it to the wire transfer company immediately... Tell them a scammer tricked you into sending money. Ask them to refund your money.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed checked 3 Sep 2026

4:05.32

If you paid through a payment app. Report it to the app immediately, and ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money.

Report it to the payment app immediately... Ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed checked 3 Sep 2026

4:13.46

If you paid in cryptocurrency. Contact the crypto exchange, or the operator of the crypto A T M, immediately. Tell them it was a fraudulent transaction, and ask them to reverse it. Crypto does not carry the same legal protections, so this one is harder. Ask anyway.

Contact the cryptocurrency exchange or ATM operator immediately... Tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask them to reverse the transaction. … Cryptocurrency payments don't have the same legal protections... so it can be hard to get your money back.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed checked 3 Sep 2026

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Everyone. Secure it first. Then report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Reports help the FTC find patterns and support enforcement.

tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

reportfraud.ftc.gov checked 3 Sep 2026

4:44.41

And then guard against the second scam. Scammers buy lists of people who have already paid. In the weeks after a loss, someone may contact you and promise to get your money back. The FTC is direct: government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask for money to help you get a refund. A fee up front is the tell.

Refund and Recovery Scams … Scammers buy lists of people who've paid scammers. They call it a “sucker list,

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/refund-and-recovery-scams checked 3 Sep 2026

5:06.67

Here is the move that interrupts all of it. Close the alert, and reach the company yourself, on a website or number you looked up. Never the number a pop-up, or a caller, gives you.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams … contact the company directly using a phone number you know is real. Do not use the number included in the message.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

5:18.67

And remember, a real security warning will never ask you to call a phone number. That is the tell.

Real security pop-up warnings and messages will never ask you to call a phone number. … never includes a phone number

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026

5:25.64

The same holds for a caller who says they're from a bank, a retailer, or the government. Hang up, and reach them on a number you already trust.

How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams … contact the company directly using a phone number you know is real. Do not use the number included in the message.

consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-sca checked 3 Sep 2026