Security Warnings
Understand security alerts and notifications.
An educational guide to help readers differentiate between legitimate system warnings and fake security alerts designed to cause panic.
Security Warnings
Pop-ups & Notices
Beginner
Alert Verification
Identifying Alerts
Real warnings vs. fake pop-ups.
It's important to know where a warning is coming from. Legitimate warnings come from your operating system or installed security software.
Legitimate Warnings
- Appear in the system notification center.
- Have a clear "Settings" or "Review" option.
- Don't ask for immediate payment or phone calls.
Fake Pop-ups
- Appear inside a browser tab while visiting a site.
- Use flashing colors, loud sounds, or timers.
- Claim your computer has "dozens" of viruses.
Step-by-step Guide
What to do when an alert appears.
Follow these steps to safely handle any security notification without putting your device or information at risk.
Pause and don't click
Avoid clicking any "Remove Virus," "Scan Now," or "Call Support" buttons inside a browser pop-up. Panic is what scammers want.
Check the window source
Look at your taskbar or browser tabs. If the warning is just a web page, it's likely fake. Close the tab or the entire browser.
Open your security app
Manually open your trusted antivirus software from the Start menu or taskbar to see if there are any real alerts in the dashboard.
Educational security note
Legitimate system warnings will never ask you to call a toll-free number or pay with gift cards to fix an issue. If a warning makes these requests, it is 100% fake.