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Scary pop-up says your computer is infected? Read this first

Last reviewed: October 2026, against Microsoft, Apple and FTC pages · For Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.

A loud warning fills your screen: your computer is “infected” or “locked,” and you must call a number right now. Take a breath. This is almost always a fake web page, not a real virus warning. Closing it is usually all you need to do.

⚡ The short version

  1. Don't call the number. Real warnings from Microsoft and Apple never ask you to call a phone number.
  2. Don't let anyone connect to your computer, and don't pay, give passwords, or buy gift cards.
  3. Close the browser (steps below). When you open it again, don't restore the old pages.

Already called or let someone in? Skip to If you already called, let them in, or paid.

How to recognize a fake pop-up

Scam warnings use the same tricks again and again. Watch for:

  • A phone number to call for “support.” Microsoft says its error and warning messages never include phone numbers.
  • Urgent, scary wording: “virus detected,” “your computer is blocked,” “do not shut down,” “call within 5 minutes.”
  • Logos or names of Microsoft, Apple, Windows or a well-known antivirus company, to look official.
  • A page that fills the whole screen or keeps popping up again, so the browser seems locked.
  • Beeping, alarms or a recorded voice telling you to call.
Remember: the pop-up is just a web page. It can't see inside your computer, and it hasn't scanned anything. The goal is to scare you into calling, so the scammers can ask for remote access or payment.

Close it on Windows

  1. First try closing the browser normally: click the X at the top-right of the browser window (not a button inside the warning), or press Alt + F4.
  2. If the page won't let you, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  3. On the Processes tab, select your browser (for example Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome) and select End task. If you only see a small window, select More details first.
  4. Still stuck? Restart the computer: Start → Power → Restart.

Close it on a Mac

  1. Try quitting the browser normally: press Command + Q.
  2. If it won't quit, press Option + Command + Esc together (or choose Apple menu → Force Quit). Select Safari (or your browser) and click Force Quit.
  3. To reopen Safari without the scary page coming back, hold the Shift key while you open Safari.
  4. Still stuck? Choose Apple menu → Restart.

Close it on a phone or tablet

Don't tap anything inside the warning. Some “close” buttons are fake.

  1. iPhone or iPad (Safari): tap the Tabs button (two overlapping squares), then tap the X on the scary page to close it.
  2. Android (Chrome): tap the Switch tabs button (the square next to the address bar), then tap the X on the scary page.
  3. Still stuck? Close the browser app completely from the app switcher, then open it again.
  4. On iPhone or iPad, make sure Block Pop-ups and Fraudulent Website Warning are on: Settings → Apps → Safari (on older versions, Safari is listed directly in Settings).

Good to know: closing the browser or restarting doesn't delete your files, photos or email. If nobody has connected to your computer, closing the page is usually all you need to do.

After it's closed: a quick clean-up

  1. Reopen the browser without the old pages

    If you see “Restore pages?”, don't click Restore. Click the X to close that message. On a Mac, hold Shift while opening Safari.

  2. Block notifications and remove extensions you didn't add

    Some scam pages trick you into clicking Allow on notifications, so fake warnings keep appearing even when the browser is closed. Open the steps for your browser:

    Microsoft Edge
    • Notifications: Settings and more (…) → Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Site permissions → All sites. Select a site you don't recognize and set Notifications to Block.
    • Extensions: Extensions (next to the address bar) → Manage extensions. Remove anything you didn't install.
    Google Chrome (computer)
    • Notifications: More (⋮) → Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications. Block or remove sites you don't recognize.
    • Extensions: More (⋮) → Extensions → Manage Extensions. Select Remove on anything you didn't install.
    Safari (Mac)
    • Notifications: Safari menu → Settings → Websites → Notifications. Set any site you don't recognize to Deny.
    • Extensions: Safari menu → Settings → Extensions. Select one you didn't install and click Uninstall.
    Chrome on Android
    • More (⋮) → Settings → Site settings → Notifications. Turn off or block sites you don't recognize.

  3. Run a virus scan

    Windows: search the Start menu for Windows Security, then select Virus & threat protection → Quick scan. If it finds nothing, the pop-up was most likely just a web page.

    Mac: keep macOS up to date: Apple menu → System Settings → General → Software Update. On older Macs, look for Software Update in System Preferences.

If you already called, let them in, or paid

Don't be embarrassed. These scams fool careful people every day. Act now, in this order:

  1. Hang up and disconnect

    End the call. If you see the mouse moving or typing you're not doing, someone is connected: turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the internet cable right away.

  2. If you paid: contact the payment company right away

    The sooner you act, the better your chance of stopping the payment.

    • Credit or debit card, Zelle or bank transfer: call your bank or card company (use the number on the back of your card). Say it was a scam and ask them to reverse the payment.
    • Gift card: call the gift card company using the number on the back of the card. Tell them a scammer got the card number and PIN, and ask for a refund. Keep the card and the receipt.
    • Payment app (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal) or wire transfer (Western Union, MoneyGram): contact the company right away, report the scam and ask them to reverse the payment.

  3. Remove the program they had you install

    Scammers often use real remote-control apps such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer, UltraViewer, ConnectWise ScreenConnect or LogMeIn. Uninstall any you didn't set up yourself.

    • Windows 11: Start → Settings → Apps → Installed apps, select … next to the app, then Uninstall.
    • Windows 10 (or if it's not listed): search for Control Panel, open Programs → Programs and Features, right-click the app and choose Uninstall.
    On a Mac
    • Open Finder → Applications, drag the remote-control app to the Trash, then empty the Trash.
    • Open Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security. Check Screen & System Audio Recording (called Screen Recording on older Macs) and Accessibility, and turn off or remove any app you don't recognize.
    On a phone or tablet
    • Delete any app the caller asked you to install.

  4. Run a full scan

    In Windows Security, select Virus & threat protection → Scan options → Full scan → Scan now. Then install updates: Start → Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.

    Optional, extra-thorough: in Scan options, choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan). It restarts your computer and scans before Windows loads, so save your work first. When it's done, the computer restarts on its own. If fake warnings keep coming back, Microsoft suggests resetting the computer; get help from someone you trust for that.

  5. Change your passwords, from another device

    Use a phone or computer the scammer never touched. Change your email password first, then your bank and any account you used during the call. If you reuse a password anywhere, change it there too, and turn on two-step verification where you can.

  6. Gave your Social Security number or bank login?

    Go to IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan. Consider a free credit freeze with all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), so nobody can open new credit in your name.

  7. Report it, and keep watching

    Watch your bank and card statements closely for the next few months.

Watch out for the follow-up call. Scammers often call back offering a “refund”, or pretend to be from the government or your bank and say you must move your money to “protect it.” It's the same scam. Hang up. No real agency or bank will ever ask you to do that.
A good rule for the future: real tech companies won't call, email or text you out of the blue to say your computer has a problem. If someone does, hang up. If you're worried, ask someone you trust before doing anything.

Sources

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