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Spyware News
  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Feb 2019

How to remove You Have A ZEUS Virus scam?

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Julie Splinters · Anti-malware specialist

You Have A ZEUS Virus is a scam displayed as a fake alert that falsely indicates malware 

You Have A ZEUS Virus is a fake security message which is used to convince users that they are dealing with a seriously dangerous trojan horse. This may appear once and you should exit the window but when you get these pop-ups constantly or click on them you can get a severe cyber infection. If you are an experienced PC user, you will ignore this but note that Zeus virus became recently more active and getting this malware on the device can lead to serious damage.[1] If you received You Have A ZEUS Virus scam or similar alert, you should know that you are dealing with Tech support scammers[2]. Make sure you do NOT dial 1-844-859-0337 or similar number because you will reach people seeking to swindle your money. Besides, they can install malware behind your back and steal your sensitive information. 

Name “You Have A ZEUS Virus” 
Type  Scam
Related  Zeus virus
Tactics  Fake support scam
Distribution Deceptive websites, suspicious software, bundling, advertisements
Possible danger Can infect the device with real malware that causes severe damage
Elimination  Clear the system from possible intruders using FortectIntego. Remove “You Have A ZEUS Virus” related programs

Keep in mind that the appearance of You Have A ZEUS Virus scam has nothing in common with an infamous Zeus virus on your computer. This story was invented just to scare you. The main threat you need to remove is a potentially unwanted program (typically, adware or browser hijacker) that hijacked your browser and changed its settings. As a result, it causes this alert every time you start your browsing on the web.

The very Zeus virus[3] showed on the Web in 2012. Alternatively known as Gameover Zeus, it has been actively used to steal people's sensitive information, including banking data and passwords. However, the trojan horse was taken down in 2016 and today victims get affected by one of its impersonators.[4]

Although, in the past year researchers reported about the recent activity of the trojan Zeus itself when it affected government institutions and companies. Nevertheless, when you get the message, an alert or even a voice warning on the computer that states about the infection it is most likely You Have A ZEUS Virus fake warning.

The main aim of the ZEUS virus scam is to swindle your money. The method used for that is very simple: after dialing this corrupted number, which is provided in the alert message, a victim is connected to scammers who will do their best to look like experienced Microsoft technicians. All that they seek is to make the user fall for this scam and buy services that he or she doesn't need. Besides, sometimes such criminals try to infect victim's system with malware or similar viruses. 

Fortunately, it is quite easy to identify the real scam by comparing it to the original Windows error or system notification. If the alter looks like the one below, you can start You Have A ZEUS Virus removal process without even thinking. The easiest way to do that is to use FortectIntego.

Where does the success of this scam come from? 

You have a Zeus virus scam has been so successful among PC users because it works as a manipulation tool. First of all, it convinces the user that the most important information is at risk. Besides, it claims that the error was detected by Microsoft.

Therefore, even if you have no idea what the Zeus virus was, you might still fall for this fake alert and follow the requirements written in this fake BSOD screen. Typically, it claims: 

WARNING!

Your Hard drive will be DELETED if your close this page. You have a ZEUS Virus! Please call Support Now!. Call Toll-Free: 1-844-859-0337 To Stop This Process

Are you sure you want to leave this page?

Keep in mind that this scam has several versions. You can also notice such alerts on your web browser:

Due to the fact that You Have A ZEUS Virus developers have different tactics, you may also receive the following message:

Your Hard drive will be DELETED if you close this page. You have a ZEUS virus! Please call Support Now!. Call Toll-Free: 0800-014-8826 To Stop This Process

Are you sure you want to leave this page?

Do not ignore this critical alert. If you close this page, your computer access will be disabled to prevent further damage to our network.Your computer has alerted us that it has been infected with a Pornographic Spyware and riskware. The following information is being stolen…
Financial Data
Facebook Logins
CC Details
Email Account Logins
Photos stored on this computer
You must contact us immediately so that our expert engineers can walk you through the removal process over the phone to protect your identity. Please call us within the next 5 minutes to prevent your computer from being disabled or from any information loss.

According to victims, you can be required to pay up to 300 USD for the fake technical solution. Alternatively, the supposed technician might lead you through the tiresome steps which supposedly remove the threat. You can also be asked to tell a specific code to help the crook identify your location. 

If you have been bothered by this scam, we highly recommend you to remove You Have A ZEUS Virus and potentially unwanted programs that could be related to it. Otherwise, you might get misguided to another fishy domain which might contain a real virus instead. If you see a similar message in the future, do not rush to follow the commands.

The screenshot of

Tech support infiltration techniques

Surprisingly, the scam might have infiltrated the system at the time while you were going through the steps of the installation wizard. As a result, overlooking the add-ons might have resulted in the infiltration of potentially unwanted software causing these fake alerts on your computer. 

Keep in mind that programs which are distributed on trusted web pages might still contain fraudulent attachments. In that case, even if you install Skype or another application, watch out for various promoted search engines and suspicious programs. Unmark them and continue with the installation only when you are sure that no unwanted applications get installed.

“You Have A ZEUS Virus” scam elimination guide

Even it is not a complex virtual threat, we do not recommend opting for manual You Have A ZEUS Virus removal. You should rely on a reliable anti-spyware to do the job for you and help you find all suspicious components that belong to this virus. The main program we recommend using while terminating this malware is the anti-malware program.

However, you can also select any of the trusted antivirus tools and let it remove You Have A ZEUS Virus. The very process does not last long; its duration depends on your hardware capabilities and additional intruders.

In addition, we recommend reviewing the below-indicated instructions to reset your browsers and eliminate malicious elements. On the final note, if you ever encounter a similar scam, do not rush to make reckless actions, but closely look for hints which would reveal the true nature of the phenomenon.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

Did this guide help?

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3 comments

  1. TorusB

    Thanks for the warning.

  2. MandyWane8

    Zeus virus is already ancient history...

  3. hackinghacker007

    Too bad it didnt work...Its too ordinary already.

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