Fake tech support: "your computer is infected"

An email lands: "Your computer is infected. Call our support team immediately." Or a red window fills your screen, with a loud alarm and a phone number. This is the fake tech support scam. It targets everyone, but it works best on people who feel less sure with computers.

How the scam works

1. You get an email, text or browser pop-up claiming to come from Microsoft, Apple, an antivirus brand or your internet provider.
2. It says you have a virus, a hack or a blocked account, and pushes you to call.
3. On the phone, a fake "technician" asks you to install remote-access software.
4. They pretend to clean your computer, then ask for money for a "security plan" or a "refund".
5. Meanwhile they can see your accounts, files and passwords.

There is a variant: the fake technician "refunds" you too much by mistake, then asks you to send the difference back.

Signs to look for

• A virus alert you didn't trigger, with a number to call.
• Pressure: "call within 10 minutes", "do not close this page".
• A sender that doesn't fit: the display name says "Microsoft", but the address comes from another domain.
• A request to install software or give a code so someone can take control.
• Unusual payment: gift cards, bank transfer, cryptocurrency.
• Poor spelling or a phone number that matches no official website.

A real antivirus never asks you to phone anyone.

What to do

1. Don't call the number and don't click links or attachments.
2. Install nothing at a stranger's request, and never share a remote-access code.
3. If a window locks your screen, close the browser without interacting with it.
4. If you worry about your computer, run your usual antivirus yourself, or contact official support by typing the website address yourself.
5. Report the email to your mail provider as phishing, and to your national fraud or cybercrime reporting service.

If you already called, clicked or paid

• Disconnect from the internet (Wi-Fi or cable), then close and uninstall the remote-access tool.
• Change your passwords from another safe device, starting with email and banking.
• Call your bank if you paid or gave card details, to block the card and dispute the payments.
• Keep the evidence (email, number, screenshots) and report it to the police if money was lost.
• Watch for follow-up calls from a fake bank advisor. See also CEO fraud: the urgent wire transfer request for a similar pressure trick.

The alert email works like any phishing message. To learn how to recognise them, read how to spot a phishing email.

Check the message with Fishi

Forward the suspicious email to check@fishi.email, ideally as an attachment. Fishi checks the sender, looks at where the links really lead, and replies with a clear verdict and what to do. It's free and needs no account. Fishi only reads emails: for an alert shown on a website, close it and don't call. No tool is perfect: when in doubt, don't call the number.