my husband's computer on Microsoft has been disabled with Defender Smartscreen. How do I fix it?

Question

my husband's computer on Microsoft has been disabled with Defender Smartscreen. How do I fix it?

Nicole Sandifer Burnett 0

"contact support. Our engineer will guide you through the removal process over the phone. Your computer has been disabled. Defender Smartscreeen now prevents unrecognized applications from appearing. Running this application may put your system at risk."

Is this accurate and is it safe to call 1-877-276-4690?

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Can you please hold down Ctrl+Alt+Del, then launch Task Manager, and then end all browser items there to close it. That page is definitely scam, but as long as you didn't call the number and engage in any of the requested activities, your computer is not hacked. It is just a pop up page that can have some audio effect (sometimes) and display in full screen mode, so it appears the computer is locked.

Scammers use various methods to trigger these pop-ups. Pop-ups are a form of online advertising. They are often integrated into websites or applications through ad services. Many websites use third-party advertising services to display ads. Sometimes, these ad services might inadvertently allow scam ads to be displayed. This does not mean the website itself is malicious, but it indicates a lack of stringent ad vetting.

You can read more about this type of support scam here: https://support.microsoft.com/windows/protect-yourself-from-tech-support-scams-2ebf91bd-f94c-2a8a-e541-f5c800d18435

Answer 2

No. That is a tech support scam, and it is not safe to call that number.

Microsoft states that:

Microsoft will never proactively contact people with unsolicited technical support.
Genuine Microsoft error and warning messages never include a phone number to call.
If a pop-up or message tells someone to call support, the number should not be called.

What to do now:

Do not call the number.
Do not click links in the pop-up.
Close the browser window immediately. If the mouse cannot close it, try ALT+F4.
If the browser is stuck, restart the computer.
When reopening the browser, do not restore the previous session or previously open pages.
If any remote access software was installed or any credentials were entered, change passwords and check for unwanted software.
Report the scam to Microsoft using the official report form: Submit report

A real Defender SmartScreen warning is meant to warn about unrecognized apps, but Microsoft warning messages do not tell people to call a phone number. The phone number in that message is the clear sign that it is fraudulent.

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