Tech Tips
Every day the Info Station gets several calls from potential customers who think they might have a virus, and most of them do! What is the reason for this large influx of computer illnesses? The answer is a new form of infection commonly called the “Fake Alert”. This new breed of virus / spyware enters your computer from an infected website and embeds itself in your PC. Once inside, the malware acts like a legitimate antivirus program. It places an Icon in your start bar, and gives you a pop-up warning that reads something like this: “Your computer is infected with 683200 infections. Click here to remove.” DO NOT CLICK THAT BUTTON!!”
The next symptom of the Fake Alert is that it commonly asks you for a credit card for payment. Let me make myself clear. None of the legitimate AV programs ask for payment via a pop-up window. So, this goes with out saying but DO NOT put your credit card, debit card, checking account, or Swiss bank account number in these fields!
Here is what you should do when confronted with a suspicious popup that you think might be a virus or a Fake Alert:
- Download and update Malwarebytes. This is the number one free Malware removal program on the web and you can download it for free from our site or by visiting download.com and typing in “Malware Bytes”
- Shutdown Your PC
- Reboot in Safe Mode– To enter Safe Mode, Tap the “F8″ key repeatedly just after you press the power button when starting our PC
- Run a “Full Scan” using Malware Bytes and remove any infections that it finds
- Restart you PC
If you have trouble accessing the Internet to download Malware Bytes or if after running the scan the problem persists. Take your PC to a professional immediately to have the Infection removed. Do not ignore the virus. The more you use your PC while it is infected the worse the infection gets and the more potential you have for infecting others.
