I think someone is trying to scam me.

This is most likely a scareware notification intended to frighten you into paying, but first identify its sender so you remove the correct source without opening the warning.

Do not click the notification, pay, call any number shown, download anything, or allow remote access. Countdown timers and urgent payment demands are common scam tactics.^1^

1. Identify where it comes from

When the alert appears, note the app or browser name displayed on it without clicking inside it. You can also open the Windows notification center by selecting the date/time area on the taskbar and inspect the sender there.

Then use the matching branch below.

2. If the sender is Microsoft Edge

Website notifications can appear in the lower-right corner even when Edge is closed.^2^

1. Open Microsoft Edge normally—not through the warning.
2. Select … (Settings and more) → Settings.
3. Go to Privacy, search, and services → Site permissions → All sites.
4. Open any unfamiliar site, especially one associated with the warnings.
5. Find Notifications and select Block.
6. Repeat for every suspicious site.

Also check Edge’s pop-up protection:

1. Go to Edge Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Site permissions.
2. Select Pop-ups and redirects.
3. Turn on Blocked (recommended).^3^

If a scam page takes over the browser, press Alt+F4 to close it. If that fails, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, select Microsoft Edge, and choose End task. Do not restore the suspicious tab when reopening Edge.

If the sender is another browser, remove unfamiliar sites from that browser’s notification/site permissions instead. The Edge menu paths above do not apply to other browsers.

3. If the sender is an unfamiliar installed app

Treat it as potentially unwanted software:

1. Open Start → Settings → Apps.
2. Review recently installed or unfamiliar applications.
3. Select the unwanted application and choose Uninstall.
4. Restart the laptop if requested.

Do not remove your genuine antivirus unless another active antivirus, such as Microsoft Defender, is protecting the computer. Running multiple antivirus products can also make Windows slow or unstable.^4^

4. Scan Windows afterward

Even if this was only an abusive website notification, run a security check:

1. Open Start → Windows Security.
2. Select Virus & threat protection.
3. Check for the latest security intelligence updates.
4. Select Scan options → Full scan → Scan now.
5. If the warning continues or Defender finds something, return to Scan options and run Microsoft Defender Offline scan. This restarts the computer, so save your work first.

Microsoft recommends a full Defender scan and, when unwanted software persists, an offline scan.^5^

If you entered information or paid

• Card or bank details: contact the bank immediately using the number printed on the card, report the transaction as fraudulent, and ask whether the card should be replaced.
• Password: change it from a trusted device and change any other account using the same password; enable multifactor authentication where available.
• Remote access: disconnect the laptop from the internet, uninstall the remote-access program, run the Defender scans above, and change important passwords from another trusted device.
• Preserve screenshots, receipts, phone numbers, and transaction details for the bank or relevant fraud-reporting authority.

References

1. Protect yourself from online scams and attacks | Microsoft Support
2. Manage website notifications in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support
3. Block pop-ups in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support
4. Protect my PC from viruses | Microsoft Support
5. Protect your PC from unwanted software | Microsoft Support