Fake virus alerts: Scammers issue false pop-up alerts claiming that your smartphone is infected with a virus.
When surfing the web with your Android smartphone, you suddenly get horror news like: “ Viruses damage your cell phone – or even the battery!” You should tap a download button very quickly to prevent even more damage - before the displayed countdown has expired. “ or as in the current case: “ Cleaner update for Samsung is recommended! “
STOP! If you click on “Update now”, you would catch a virus!
Such dubious displays and warnings are actually not a real warning, but rather advertising. This is displayed while you are surfing the Internet.
The warnings are often written in bad German. Sometimes they have logos of well-known companies, such as Google, to appear more credible. It will also be displayed which device you are using or which operating system. This is because your browser automatically sends this information to the website. In this case it was a Samsung Galaxy J5.
The pest lurks behind the message
Such false virus warnings are called scareware. The word is a combination of the English “scare” and “software”. It is intended to scare people and encourage them to take rash actions . The “virus warning” is intended to make you install a new app. It then infects your system, possibly spies on your data, perhaps sends expensive premium SMS messages or possibly paralyzes your entire cell phone.
The makers of this advertising continually find ways to infiltrate their messages into large advertising networks so that they can also appear on reputable websites. In this way, subscription traps can lurk, for example. Although many network providers are already taking countermeasures here, you should still have a third-party block set up for your mobile Internet as a precaution!
This is what you should do with “virus warnings”.
If you see a message like this, above all, stay cool! And then:
- Close the browser app.
- Open your smartphone's settings.
- Tap on the “Applications” item (on some devices this is also called “Application Manager”, “Apps” or similar).
- Find your browser app that you use to access the Internet and tap it.
- In the Storage section, tap Clear Cache. If you still get annoying messages, repeat all the steps up to this point and tap “Delete data”. Note: This will cause already opened tabs and possibly saved form data to disappear.
- If you use different browsers, repeat this with all the others to be on the safe side.
- Such ads can also be triggered by apps. So consider whether you may have installed new apps before the messages appeared and delete them again.
What else needs to be taken into account?
Pay attention to the mobile phone bill! Are positions debited there that cannot be classified? If yes, then definitely contact the mobile operator
Important note: Even reputable website operators have no direct influence on which advertising banners are displayed on their own website . The operator himself only provides advertising space. So you shouldn't judge the operator of the respective website if you see such manipulated advertising banners.
Also read: Popular scam: spreading fake antivirus software
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )