Are Antivirus Software Pop-Ups Legitimate Or Signs of Malware?

In the digital age that we live in, just one wrong click can lead you down a rabbit hole of cyber scams. Most people use multiple devices, right? Smartphones and computers to work, scroll social media and live our lives. And at one time or another, you’ve likely seen a pop-up displayed warning you of impending digital doom.

It’s usually something like your device has been infected with multiple viruses. But just click the “fix now” button and all will be well again. These are designed to get your heart pounding and it’s this exact feeling of panic that cybercriminals rely on.

But are these the fake pop-ups that trick you into downloading some form of malware or are they legitimate security alerts from your antivirus software?

What Does A Real Antivirus Alert Look Like?

These types of notifications will come from the antivirus that you have intentionally installed on your device. The biggest thing to remember is that these won’t come from your Internet browser or a website that you visit. It’s also not a full-screen pop-up that fills your entire screen and stops you from using your device.

A legitimate alert won’t cause panic. The wording comes across as professional, usually mentioning that an action has already been taken. Either a file has been quarantined or deleted successfully.

One of the biggest giveaways of all that it is actually trustworthy is the look and feel of the notification. It will have the same branding as your antivirus provider, with the same fonts, colours and even a logo.

How To Spot A Fake Antivirus Pop-Up

A fake antivirus pop-up is also called scareware, designed to shock you and take the action that the scammer wants you to take. When you click the button, either malware will be installed onto your device or you’ll be tricked in some way to hand over personal information.

If you do see one of these pop-ups, here are a few red flags to look out for.

It Appears In Your Web Browser

A lot of malicious pop-ups are displayed as either a new tab or a full-screen window. Criminals want it to get your attention in an effort to get you to act quicker without thinking it through.

If it’s in your browser, that means it’s a web page and not an authentic programme alert.

The Message Has An Urgent Tone

Most of these pop-ups have messaging that is pretty aggressive, using words like “immediate action” and “100% infected.” If you didn’t know better, you probably would be alarmed. The wording is intentional, designed to bypass your logical thinking.

Essentially, scammers want you to click before you think.

Sloppy Language Or Design

If the text has spelling mistakes or the design looks outdated and nothing like your operating system, it’s usually safe to say that it’s not legitimate. Your antivirus service provider will have professional-looking notifications and anything that looks like it’s been done in a hurry probably was.

Fake Branding

Some scammers do attempt to make their pop-ups appear more legitimate, which makes it harder to identify. They can either steal or imitate the logos of professional antivirus providers to make it look like that company is actually communicating with you.

You can catch them out by checking the URL. If it doesn’t match the company’s real URL, it’s probably not real.

What To Do When You See A Fake Pop-Up

If you do come across a pop-up in your browser, your reaction will determine the outcome. Here are a few things that you should, and shouldn’t, do.

Don’t click anything: It’s tempting to click on a button, but don’t do it. Even if there is an “x” button to close the pop-up, these are sometimes rigged to download a virus or redirect you to a sketchy website.

Do force close your browser: What you can do is use your device’s keyboard shortcut to exit your browser without clicking anything on the screen.

Do run a real scan: When your browser has closed, run a full system scan with your installed antivirus software. This is just to make sure that nothing malicious was downloaded while the fake pop-up was on your screen.

Do clear your browser data: Delete the browser’s cache, cookies and history. It will remove anything that may trigger the pop-up again in the future.

Do enable pop-up blockers: Most browsers come with built-in pop-up blockers. When you enable it in your settings, it will stop any pop-ups from appearing on your screen.