In this series, ITS shares information about common tactics cybercriminals use to get access to and steal information from protected systems. After reading, you’ll know how to identify these online dangers, why they are harmful, and how to respond if you see one.
 

What’s the Scam?

Criminals employ fake pop-up messages to trick you into thinking your computer or mobile device has detected a major problem. The “alert” describes steps you should take to solve the “problem”, but following the instructions actually puts you directly in touch with the criminals.

What’s the Danger?

In this scam, the criminals try to trick you into giving them something they want. Often, they want you to provide a credit card number so you can pay “Support” a small fee to resolve the problem. Once they have your credit card number, the charges they make on it will be anything but small. 

They might also ask you to download and install software that will let them “troubleshoot” the problem. This could be remote access software that lets them control your computer and monitor the sites you visit and the personal information you enter. Or the software could be a malicious program that encrypts or steals files on your computer, including files on network drives connected to your computer.  

What Does It Look Like?

These alerts might look like generic browser pop-up windows, or they might appear similar to authentic windows from your computer’s operating system. Below are two examples:

These messages vary from scam to scam but often contain these ingredients:

• Official notification:  The message might resemble a genuine message coming from your computer or its antivirus/security software. They often appear almost immediately after you browse to a web page that (sometimes unknowingly) hosts the pop-up message.
• “Dangerous” problem: This could include notice of missing files, a virus or malware that was downloaded, or a flaw in the device’s operating system.
• Urgency: If you don’t take action now, you might lose data, a dangerous program might run, or your computer might permanently shut down. Some pop-up windows even scare you further by playing a loud warning siren noise.
• No escape: If you try to close the pop-up window or even the web browser window, the browser might not respond. 
• Convenient fix: “There’s a problem with your iPhone! But it’s easy to fix if you call our 1-800 number. Operators are standing by.”

If you see a message like this and aren’t sure if it’s authentic, the last point above is the giveaway—A genuine error message on your computer or mobile device will never ask you to call a phone number to fix the problem. (And if you are using a Denison-owned computer, you should contact the ITS Service Desk to arrange for repair, not the device manufacturer.)

What Should I Do?

These messages appear from time to time on the web. Here’s how to handle them.

• Don’t act on it. These messages are designed to scare you, and it’s natural to want to take action to fix the problem. Just don’t follow the instructions in the pop-up message.
• Contact the ITS Service Desk right away. Call 740-587-6395 or email servicedesk@denison.edu. Be ready to share the following information:
  • Approximate date/time the pop-up appeared
  • Page you were browsing when the pop-up appeared
  • A description of the pop-up (screenshots are extremely helpful)
  • How you responded to the message, if at all. If you followed any instructions in the pop-up message, be sure to let the Service Desk know. 

We can’t always control the threats we encounter online. But we can control how we respond. We hope this is helpful information, and we look forward to sharing information about other cyber scams.

Thanks for doing your part to keep Denison safe.