Ads.financetrack(2).dll scam: a fake Windows alert, and what to do about it
Ads.financetrack(2).dll is a fake tech support page that says a Trojan Spyware blocked your PC and tells you to call "Windows Support". Close the tab and do not call; only if you called, paid or let someone connect do you need the steps below.
Facts checked October 13, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation.
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Ads.financetrack(2).dll: summary
| Type | Fake Windows security alert (tech support scam page); not a virus and not a message from Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Risk | High if you phone the number or let anyone connect; merely seeing the page does not change your PC |
| Symptoms | A page or dialog saying a "Trojan Spyware" named Ads.financetrack(2).dll has blocked your PC, listing stolen logins, with a phone number, red or blue Microsoft-style banners and buttons such as Run Anyway |
| How to get rid of it | Press Esc, shut the tab or end the browser, and do not call. If it comes back, remove unknown extensions and site notifications; see the sections above |
| Our check | Source check on 6 October 2026 against Microsoft's and the FTC's tech support scam pages; no live test, so what the page does today is unconfirmed |
| First seen | Our guide of 9 March 2022 |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 7 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known: a web page is not a file, so Defender has nothing to detect unless a program was installed from it |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Shady websites, deceptive ads, malicious extensions, bundled free software, allowed notifications |
| Damage | Money paid for fake support, remote access given to a stranger, stolen passwords or card details if you shared them |
| Name | Ads.financetrack(2).dll |
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
| Imitates | Microsoft |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Facts checked on 6 October 2026 against Microsoft's and the FTC's tech support scam pages, the browsers' help pages, the registry record of platformkey.com and our 2022 guide. We did not open a live page.
What the Ads.financetrack(2).dll alert is
- The thing itself
- A web page dressed up as a Windows security alert. Nothing on your PC sent it and no file by this name needs removing. It opens in whichever browser you had open
- The story it tells
- Your PC is blocked, a "Trojan Spyware" named Ads.financetrack(2).dll was found, and email logins, banking passwords and Facebook logins are compromised
- The ask
- Phone "Windows Support" at the number on the page. The money and the remote access are taken during the call, not by the page
- Is Ads.financetrack(2).dll a real file?
- We found no detection name and no file with this name in the sources we read. A .dll is a Windows library file; the page uses the look of a file name to sound technical. Our own picture spells it "Ads.fiancetrack(2).dll" in one spot, a slip a real detection would not carry
- Why it looks official
- Windows logos, a blue Microsoft-style layout, dialog boxes headed "Windows Defender - Security Warning" or "Windows Firewall Protection", several banners at once and a red colour scheme meant to scare
- 1
You land on it by accident
Microsoft says these pages are reached by malicious ads on dubious sites, such as download locations for pirated software, videos or music. Our 2022 guide named shady sites, random links and buttons, and a malicious browser extension as the routes.
- 2
It imitates Microsoft
The page copies the look of a Microsoft support or Defender window, with a tall red box, "Run Anyway" and "Back to Safety" buttons, and the claim that access has been blocked.
- 3
It tries to keep you there
Microsoft names full-screen mode, pop-ups that will not go away and a browser that seems locked as the usual means. Banners pile up so you act before you think.
- 4
It ends on a phone number
Whoever answers is the scammer. They ask for remote access, act out a scan, and sell "protection" you do not need.
Our 2022 guide called this a tech support scam built on social engineering and scare tactics, and said Microsoft never shows random alerts while you browse. We keep both points and add what Microsoft states today: its error and warning messages never include a phone number.
What Pro.bankcrypt(2).dll means and whether it is the same fake alert
Pro.bankcrypt(2).dll is, in our reading, another made-up file name used by the same kind of fake Windows alert as Ads.financetrack(2).dll.
We found no reliable source that documents a real Windows file or a known malware family by that name. The pattern matches the other alert: a finance-sounding name with a number in brackets.
Warning: Treat it as the same tech support scam and do not call the number shown.
To check any such name yourself, open Windows Security and look at Protection history. A real detection is listed there with a Microsoft name; a scary page in the browser is not. Microsoft says its error and warning messages never include a phone number to call. If the page returns, close the tab and follow the steps on this page for extensions and site notifications.
Is the Ads.financetrack(2).dll warning real?
What we checked and what we did not
Ads.financetrack(2).dll · source check · 6 October 2026
- How Microsoft classes itMicrosoft's tech support scam page describes websites that show fake errors with support numbers, go full screen and keep pop-ups open. Both pictures in our report match that description.
- What the FTC says about the callThe FTC states that real security pop-ups never tell you to call a number, and that scammers want remote access and payment, often by gift card, cryptocurrency or transfer.
- The file nameWe found no detection name and no sample for Ads.financetrack(2).dll in the sources we read. Not finding it is not proof of anything, but it fits a name made up for a page.
- search.platformkey.comOur 2022 guide links to its article on this address as a browser hijacker, as an example of a related threat. It does not say this alert came from it. The registry (Verisign RDAP) shows platformkey.com created on 25 June 2018 and the subdomain answers with an address on Amazon CloudFront today. We did not open it, so we say nothing about what it serves.
- Our own site testNone: our fact file holds no live address for this alert, no search volume and no reader comments. One visit would not clear a site anyway, since scam pages change by country, device, referrer, timing or a click.
- Is it still around?Not confirmed. We hold no 2026 sample, and silence is not proof it stopped.
A tech support scam page, judged by what it says Do not call and do not press anything in it. We did not test a live copy, so what the page does today, and which number it shows, is unconfirmed.
The alert in our reports
9 March 2022
Our guide: a fake Microsoft spyware alert
We described a blue "Windows Support Alert" page that names a Zeus virus, a pop-up dialog headed support.windows.com says, and a number to call. The picture shows two different phone numbers on one page.
The blue version from our 2022 report: a page headed Windows Support Alert that names a Zeus virus, with a dialog box headed support.windows.com says. The large title at the bottom was added by our editors; it is not part of the page. 9 March 2022
The red version with the file name
A second page used a red Windows Defender - Security Warning box and a Windows Firewall Protection dialog. It names the app as Ads.financetrack(2).dll and offers Run Anyway and Back to Safety. Its number differs from the blue page's.
The red version from our 2022 report: a Windows Defender warning box and a Windows Firewall Protection dialog over a faded Microsoft support page. The woman and the title are report artwork added by our editors, not part of any page. 6 October 2026
This rewrite
No live copy opened; see the check above. The Microsoft and FTC pages we read describe the same trick today.
What the Ads.financetrack(2).dll scammers want
What the alerts say, line by line
| What the page says | What is wrong with it |
|---|---|
| App: Ads.financetrack(2).dll - Threat detected: Trojan Spyware | A web page cannot scan your PC: the browser keeps pages away from your files and programs. Every visitor is "found" infected. We found no security product that lists this name. |
| Access to this PC has been blocked for security reasons | Nothing is blocked. You can close the tab, and Windows is still yours. The wording is built to make closing the page feel dangerous. |
| The following data has been compromised: email credentials, banking passwords, Facebook login | The same list for everyone. No file, account or site is named, because the page knows nothing about you. |
| Windows Defender - Security Warning / Windows Firewall Protection | Windows Defender is now called Microsoft Defender and lives in Windows Security, a program on your PC. It never asks for a call from inside a web page. |
| Contact Windows Support: a phone number (Security Helpline) | Microsoft states that its error and warning messages never include a phone number. The FTC says real security warnings never ask you to call. |
| Run Anyway / Back to Safety | Both buttons are part of the page. Neither runs or blocks anything on your PC; they are there to make you click. |
| A second page: "Windows Support Alert - Your System Has Detected Zeus Virus" | The other picture in our 2022 report has a blue page naming "Zeus Virus", a dialog headed support.windows.com says and an error number 0x80072ee7. The number is invented text, and the dialog's title is the page's own. |
Our old guide said to look for grammar and spelling mistakes and to inspect the address. Both still help. In our own picture the app name is spelled differently in two places, and the web address, not the logos, shows who is talking: Microsoft's own pages are on microsoft.com. A page that must shout, count down or block you before you can think is built to rush you, and rushing is the point.
What calling the number can cost
The risk sits in the call, not in the page.
Each item below is ranked by what it can cost you.
- High
Someone controls your PC
The caller tries to get remote access and acts out fake scans. Microsoft warns that people who give access often end up with malware, ransomware or other programs that steal information. Our 2022 guide said they may remove genuine security tools and install a fake antivirus.
- High
Payment for a repair that repairs nothing
The "scan" always finds a threat and a fee to remove it. The FTC says payment is demanded in ways that are hard to reverse. Our old guide spoke of bogus security software; we found no sourced figure and give none.
- High
Your files and photos
The old guide warned that a remote access trojan (RAT) lets a stranger reach photos, videos and documents without you knowing, and that such data can be sold or used for blackmail. A RAT is a real kind of program; that this particular scam installs one we could not verify, so treat it as the risk, not as what we found.
- Medium
Passwords and cards
The FTC advises changing a password straight away if a scammer got it, and on every site where you reuse it.
- Low
Only seeing the page
A warning on a web page changes nothing on your PC. Closing it is enough, and nothing in this section applies to you unless you phoned, paid or installed something.
Why Ads.financetrack(2).dll opens in your browser
How it reached you
| Route | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| A link or ad you clicked | Microsoft mentions download sites for pirated software, video and music. Our 2022 guide said shady sites, random links and buttons lead to these pages. If it happens on one site, avoid that site. |
| A malicious browser extension | Our old guide said such a page can appear if a malicious extension is installed. If the page shows up on many unrelated sites, look at your extensions and unknown programs. |
| Adware that came with other software | Adware is spread in free-software installers that add programs without clearly saying so. Pick Custom or Advanced, read the list of items and untick what you did not choose. |
| A notification you allowed | A site you allowed once can show browser messages later, including links to pages like this. See the notification table below. |
| Peer-to-peer and torrent sites | Our old guide called them breeding grounds for malware because nobody checks what is shared. Get programs from the publisher's own site or the Microsoft Store. |
Our 2022 guide read this page as a sign of adware on the PC. It can be, but the alert is only a website, and a clean PC can be sent to it, so do not go hunting for an infection that may not exist. Official extension stores review what they list, which is why they are the safer place to add one; read the ratings and the number of users first. An untrustworthy extension may show more ads, pop-ups and redirects, change settings and track what you click.
How to recognise the next one
Do
- Check the address bar: Microsoft's own pages are on microsoft.com
- Shut the tab without touching anything inside it
- Install free software with Advanced or Custom, read the privacy policy and terms, check the file list and untick the extras
- Get programs from the publisher's site or the Microsoft Store, even if it costs money
- Add browser extensions only from the official store, after reading ratings and the number of users
- Keep Windows and Microsoft Defender up to date and hold an offline copy of files you care about
Don't
- Never ring a number that a pop-up gives you, because Microsoft's messages never include one
- Never allow remote access to your PC on the strength of a pop-up
- Never pay for support with gift cards, cryptocurrency or a transfer
- Never accept Quick or Recommended installs without reading what is added
- Never download cracked software or from torrent sites; the files are unchecked
- Never treat a threat or a deadline inside a web page as a genuine warning
A VPN, which our old page promoted, hides your address from the sites you visit but does not stop a page from showing a fake alert. What no web page can do is check your PC. A real scan runs in Windows Security, which you start yourself from the Start menu.
If you called, paid or ran what the page said
First: get rid of the alert on screen
- 1
Believe none of it
Do not phone, and do not press Run Anyway, Back to Safety, OK or Cancel: each only opens more of the page. Press Esc to leave full screen; if the page is playing a spoken message, mute the tab or the PC first, since the voice is part of the pressure.
- 2
Shut the tab
Use the X on the tab, or Ctrl+W (Cmd+W on a Mac). If dialogs reappear, tick "Prevent this page from creating additional dialogues" if it is offered, then dismiss them.
- 3
Still stuck? Stop the browser
In Windows press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, pick the browser and choose End task. Microsoft notes these pages may disable Task Manager; if it will not open, restart the PC from the Start menu.
- 4
Decline the restore prompt
A browser that offers to bring back your last pages will bring the alert back too. Choose not to restore.
- 5
Decide what applies to you
If you neither called nor installed anything, closing the browser is enough for this alert, and you can skip the steps for people who called. If you did either, continue below with the section for callers.
If you called, paid or let someone connect
Our old guide said manual removal can fail because related files hide in many folders. For this scam the removal is of what the caller made you install. Below are Microsoft's and the FTC's recommendations, in the order we would work through them.
- 1
End the call and the session
While a remote session is running, take the PC off the internet by unplugging the cable or turning off Wi-Fi.
- 2
Uninstall what you were told to install
Open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps (Windows 10: Apps & features; the old guide used the Control Panel route Programs > Uninstall a program, which also works). Order by install date, select the program added on the day of the call, choose Uninstall and confirm if User Account Control asks. Remove what you find and leave the rest.
- 3
Think about a reset
Microsoft says resetting the device can be the best choice when you gave someone access or when fake errors keep you from using it. Save your own documents and pictures first.
- 4
Scan fully and update
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options > Full scan, and afterwards Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. These built-in tools are enough; you do not need to buy a repair product.
- 5
Change passwords on another device
Start with e-mail and online banking, then any account that shares the password.
- 6
Tell your bank
If you paid or gave card details, say it was a tech support scam. The bank will probably cancel the card and can dispute the payment.
- 7
Report
Microsoft takes reports at microsoft.com/reportascam. In the United States use ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Seen the page and nothing more? Then none of this is needed.
Keep it from returning: extensions, notifications and clearing the browser
If the page keeps appearing, something opens it. Check extensions first, then the sites allowed to send notifications. Our old guide covered extensions in Chrome, Firefox and Edge; the current paths are in the table (menu names read 6 October 2026).
| Browser | Extensions | Notification permission |
|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | Click the three dots at the top right, then Extensions > Manage Extensions (or open chrome://extensions) and click Remove on every one you did not install. | Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications: remove the unknown site. Do the same under Pop-ups and redirects. |
| Microsoft Edge | Open edge://extensions and remove the ones you did not install. The old Edge Legacy is gone, so its steps are dropped. | Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All sites, set the site's Notifications to Block. |
| Mozilla Firefox | Click the three lines at the top right, choose Add-ons and themes (or open about:addons), select Extensions and remove what you did not install. | Click the permissions icon in the site's address bar and remove Send Notifications. |
| Safari on a Mac | Safari > Settings > Extensions: uninstall anything unfamiliar. | Apple menu > System Settings > Notifications, select the website, switch off Allow Notifications. |
Websites keep cookies, and trackers can note your IP address, rough location, pages visited, links clicked and purchases. That data can be sold to advertising networks. Clearing cookies and cache from time to time cuts the trail, and the browsers' own settings do it without extra software: in Chrome use Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data. A reset of the browser is the last resort. Internet Explorer is left out because Microsoft retired it in 2022.
How to get rid of the Ads.financetrack(2).dll pop-up
The warning is a web page and your PC is not infected by it.
Close it, then remove what keeps bringing it back.
Step 1: Close the page without touching its buttons
The warning is a web page, not Windows, so closing the browser ends it. If the page blocks the browser or goes full screen, press Esc first, then end the browser in Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
Start the browser again without restoring the session, and do not follow any instruction the page gave. On Windows 11 and Windows 10 the steps are identical.
Full procedure with screenshots: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit) On uGetFix
Step 2: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Questions about Ads.financetrack(2).dll
What is the Ads.financetrack(2).dll alert?
The Ads.financetrack(2).dll alert is a fake security warning, not a virus. A website shows a page styled like a Windows Defender or Firewall alert, says a "Trojan Spyware" named Ads.financetrack(2).dll has blocked access to your PC and tells you to call a "Windows Support" number.
The name is made up for the page; we found no detection name or file for it in the sources we read. A web page cannot scan your computer, because the browser keeps websites away from your files and programs.
Close the tab and do not call. Only if you called, paid or let someone connect do you need the steps in this guide.
Is the Ads.financetrack(2).dll message real or from Microsoft?
No, it is not from Microsoft. Microsoft states that its error and warning messages never include a phone number, and that it does not call or email people unprompted to fix their computers.
The page copies Windows logos, a blue support layout and dialog titles such as Windows Defender - Security Warning, but the web address and the phone number give it away.
Look for spelling slips as well: in our own picture the app name is spelled two ways. Real Windows alerts come from programs on your PC, such as Windows Security, never from a page in a browser tab.
Is my computer really blocked or infected?
No. Seeing the page does not mean your PC is infected, and nothing is actually blocked. The page shows the same warning to every visitor because it cannot see your PC. The only block is the one it fakes with full-screen mode, pop-ups that return and sometimes a locked-looking browser.
Press Esc, close the tab, or end the browser in Task Manager and nothing remains. If you allowed notifications, installed an extension or program you did not choose, or let a caller connect, those need checking, and the sections above list the places to look.
Should I call the number on the Ads.financetrack(2).dll pop-up?
No. Microsoft says to ignore a phone number shown in a pop-up or error message, because its own messages never include one. The line belongs to scammers, who ask for remote access, act out a scan and demand a fee, usually by gift card, cryptocurrency or transfer, according to the FTC.
The numbers differ between the two pictures in our report, which fits a rotating line rather than a support team. If you have already called, share nothing more, put the phone down and work through the section for people who called.
How do I close the alert when it will not go away?
Start with Esc to leave full screen, then Ctrl+W (Cmd+W on a Mac) to close the tab. If dialogs keep reappearing, tick the box that stops the page creating more dialogues, if there is one, and dismiss them. On Windows, if the browser stays frozen, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, select it and click End task.
Microsoft says these pages may disable Task Manager; if it will not open, restart the PC from the Start menu. Refuse the offer to restore your last session, or the alert opens again. Closing the browser costs you nothing.
How do I remove Ads.financetrack(2).dll from my PC?
There is nothing named Ads.financetrack(2).dll to remove, because the page does not live on your PC. You remove whatever opens it.
Close the tab, delete unknown sites from the browser's notification list and uninstall extensions you did not add. Then go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, order by date and uninstall anything installed the day it began.
Run a full scan in Windows Security. Reset the browser only if the alert still appears. Our 2022 guide advised looking for adware, and that is right; remove only what you really find.
I called the number or gave remote access. What now?
Cut the PC off the internet, end the call and uninstall the remote-control program you were asked to install. Microsoft says a reset is worth considering if you gave access. Next run a full scan in Windows Security, install Windows updates and change passwords from a different device, e-mail and banking first.
If you paid or read out a card number, tell the bank it was a tech support scam so it can cancel the card and dispute the charge. Report it at microsoft.com/reportascam and, in the United States, ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Why does the alert keep coming back?
Something is opening it again and again. Usual suspects are a site you allowed to send notifications, an extension or program you did not pick, or visits to sites whose ads forward to pages like this, for example downloads of pirated files.
Look through the notification list and extensions in every browser you use and check Installed apps for anything dated the day it started.
Trouble on one site points to that site. Trouble in every browser points to an unwanted program. A browser reset comes last.
Is it the same as other fake Windows alerts?
It is the same trick with different wording. Our archive holds other fake Windows alerts, such as Windows Warning Alert and Error # WINDOWS-PORN-91, which use made-up codes and threat names with a phone number. Codes, colours and numbers vary between pages, while the demand never does: ring a number and let someone connect.
Since the names are invented, the name tells you little, whereas a phone number inside a browser page tells you everything. Handle all of them alike: shut the tab, do not call, and check notifications, extensions and installed apps.
Will Fortect remove Ads.financetrack(2).dll?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Ads.financetrack(2).dll, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Protect yourself from tech support scams (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC Consumer Advice: How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Support: Manage website notifications in Microsoft Edge (read October 6, 2026)
- Mozilla Support: Web Push notifications in Firefox (read October 6, 2026)
- Apple Support: Customize website notifications in Safari on Mac (read October 6, 2026)
- Verisign RDAP: platformkey.com registration record (read October 6, 2026)
- Proofpoint: What is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT)? (read October 6, 2026)