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Do not call the number in a pop-up that says your computer is infected. Real security warnings do not ask you to telephone an agent, install a “fix,” pay, or grant remote access. Close the page without clicking its controls, then remove the site’s notification permission and block its pop-ups in your browser. Notifications and pop-ups are separate settings, so disabling one does not necessarily stop the other.
How to tell a tech-support pop-up is a scam
A page that claims your computer has a virus, displays an urgent countdown, plays an alarm, or tells you to call a phone number matches a well-known tech-support scam pattern. The Federal Trade Commission says legitimate technology companies will not contact you by phone, email, or text to announce a problem with your computer, and that real security pop-up warnings never ask you to call a phone number.
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The message may imitate a familiar operating-system design or use a company name, logo, or warning color. Those visual details do not prove that the message is genuine. A normal website cannot perform a trustworthy diagnosis merely by displaying a browser page. Treat an unsolicited demand to call, pay, download software, disclose a password, read out a one-time code, or allow remote control as fraudulent.
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- Do not call the displayed number or use contact details in the message.
- Do not click buttons such as Remove virus, Renew protection, Scan now, or Allow.
- Do not download a “cleaner,” remote-access program, browser extension, or certificate offered by the page.
- Do not pay by card, bank transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or payment app.
- Do not share passwords, verification codes, banking details, or an identity document.
If you need legitimate help, type the real company’s address yourself or use contact information from its official website. Never use the phone number or link in the warning.
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What to do immediately
1. Stop interacting with the page
Close the tab or the browser using its normal close command. If the page has trapped the mouse or repeatedly opened dialogs, use the operating system’s standard force-quit or end-task function rather than clicking the page’s buttons. On a computer, a force-quit is safer than accepting a prompt from the suspicious page.
Do not revisit the page just to take a screenshot. Preserve the phone number or message only if you can do so without reopening the scam. A browser alert cannot be made trustworthy by pressing its Cancel, Call, or Support button.
2. Disconnect only when remote control is active
If you already allowed a stranger to control the computer, disconnect the computer from the internet immediately by turning off Wi-Fi or unplugging the network cable. Then contact a trusted technician using a number obtained independently. Do not continue a remote-support session to ask the caller what happened.
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3. Expect the warning to return until permissions are removed
A site can be allowed to send web notifications even after its tab is closed. Those messages may appear in the operating system’s notification area, which makes them look like system alerts. Removing the notification permission is therefore a separate task from closing the original tab.
Notifications and pop-ups are different controls
Web notifications are messages a site is permitted to send through the browser, sometimes while no tab is visible. Pop-ups and redirects are new windows, tabs, or automatic navigation triggered while browsing. A site can have one permission without the other.
| Browser | Notification permission | Pop-up control | Future notification requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications; block or remove the suspicious site | Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Pop-ups and redirects; block the site | Block the site, or review automatic removals in Safety Check |
| Edge | Settings and more → Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Site permissions → All sites; open the site and set Notifications to Block | Controlled by the separate pop-up blocker, not the notification permission | Block the site in All sites or from the address-bar View site information panel |
| Firefox | Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Notifications → Settings; choose Block or Remove Website | Controlled separately from notification permissions | Enable Block new requests asking to allow notifications |
The safest approach is to remove or block the suspicious domain in the notification list and then verify the pop-up setting. Clearing browsing history alone does not necessarily revoke a permission that you previously granted.
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Remove a scam notification permission in Chrome
- Open Chrome’s menu and choose Settings.
- Select Privacy and security, then Site settings.
- Open Notifications. Review the sites listed under allowed notifications.
- Find the unfamiliar or suspicious domain. Use its menu to choose Block or remove the permission, depending on the controls shown in your version.
- Return to Site settings and open Pop-ups and redirects.
- Block the same domain there if it appears in an allowed list or in a custom rule.
- Open Privacy and security → Safety Check. Chrome may identify permissions it has removed automatically; review the result and keep the suspicious site blocked.
Do not choose Allow simply because a page says it is required to view a video, prove that you are human, or remove a virus. Legitimate sites can ask for notifications, but an unexpected security warning is not a reason to grant them.
Remove a scam notification permission in Edge
- Open Settings and more, then choose Settings.
- Select Privacy, search, and services.
- Open Site permissions, then All sites.
- Select the suspicious site from the list.
- Find Notifications and set it to Block.
- While viewing the site, you can also open the address-bar View site information panel and change its Notifications permission there.
Edge treats website notifications and pop-ups as different features. After blocking notifications, review the browser’s pop-up-blocker setting and make sure the same domain is not listed as an exception. A notification permission change will not, by itself, undo a separate pop-up exception.
Remove a scam notification permission in Firefox
- Open Firefox’s menu and choose Settings.
- Select Privacy & Security.
- Scroll to Permissions, find Notifications, and choose Settings.
- Select the suspicious site.
- Choose Block to stop the site from sending notifications and from requesting permission again, or choose Remove Website to revoke the current grant while allowing a future request.
- Use Remove All Websites only if you are willing to clear every notification grant in Firefox.
- Enable Block new requests asking to allow notifications if you do not want sites to present future permission prompts.
Firefox also lets you change a site’s permission from the address-bar permissions panel. The Permissions settings page is useful when the site is no longer open or when you want to review every saved grant at once.
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If the alerts continue after you remove the permission
The browser is still running in the background
Some browsers continue background processes so that approved web notifications can arrive after all visible windows are closed. Fully quit the browser, not just the tab, and restart it after changing the permission. If the alerts stop after the permission is blocked, the messages were probably coming from the site notification channel.
A pop-up exception remains
Check the browser’s separate Pop-ups and redirects settings. A domain may be blocked for notifications but still allowed to open windows or redirect pages. Delete the domain from every allowed or exception list you find.
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Scam campaigns often use several changing domains. Note the exact domain shown in each alert and inspect the complete notification list, including entries that look like advertising networks or unfamiliar subdomains. Block each suspicious entry; do not allow a site merely because its name resembles a familiar service.
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The behavior is not coming from browser permissions
If alerts continue after the browser is fully closed and all suspicious permissions and pop-up exceptions are gone, update the computer’s security software and run a scan. Persistent behavior can indicate unwanted software or a compromised account rather than a single website permission. Do not install a security program offered by the pop-up itself.
What to do if you called, paid, or gave access
Act quickly, and use contact details you obtain independently of the caller.
- Contact your bank or card issuer. Explain that a tech-support scam may have caused an unauthorized transaction. Ask whether the payment can be reversed, the card replaced, or the account monitored.
- Secure payment accounts. Change the password for online banking, payment services, and email accounts that could be used to reset them. Ask the provider what additional fraud precautions are available.
- Change exposed passwords. Replace the password you disclosed and every other account that reused it. Use a different, unique password for each important account.
- Revoke remote access. Uninstall remote-access software the caller asked you to install, but do not rely on uninstalling alone if the caller had control. A trusted technician can check the computer safely.
- Update and scan. Install available updates for the operating system and security software, then run a full scan. If the scan reports a problem, follow the security provider’s removal instructions or obtain professional help.
- Protect accounts from takeover. Review recent sign-ins and recovery details, sign out unknown sessions, and turn on multi-factor authentication where available.
The FTC advises seeking help from a trusted computer technician or a reputable store support service if you are unsure how to secure the device. Do not let the original caller “refund” you or perform a second remote session; that is a common follow-up tactic.
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Report the scam without reopening it
Report the pop-up, phone number, message, payment request, or remote-support attempt to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Include the details you safely retained, such as a screenshot, the displayed number, the domain, payment method, and date. Do not revisit the page merely to collect evidence, and do not call the number again.
Quick Recap
Prevent another notification trap
- Allow notifications only when you recognize the site and understand why it needs them.
- When a site asks you to click Allow to continue, pause and inspect the address bar instead of accepting automatically.
- Keep the operating system, browser, and security software updated.
- Use the browser’s notification settings for regular reviews; remove sites you no longer use.
- Keep important files backed up so a security incident does not become a data-loss emergency.
- Teach other users of the computer that a phone number inside a security warning is a reason to close the page, not to call it.
Quick decision checklist
- Message says your computer is infected and gives a phone number: treat it as a scam; close it without clicking.
- Alerts appear after the tab is closed: remove the site under browser Notifications, then check Pop-ups and redirects separately.
- You clicked but did not call or install anything: close the browser, revoke the permission, and run an updated security scan.
- You installed software, shared credentials, paid, or allowed remote control: contact the bank or card issuer, change exposed and reused passwords, update and scan the device, and obtain trusted technical help.
- You need to preserve evidence: save the number or screenshot if safe, then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov without returning to the page.
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