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Spyware News
  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Malware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jun 2021

How to remove “Microsoft Warning Alert” Tech support scam virus

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

Linas Kiguolis · Expert in social media

Microsoft Warning Alert – a scam campaign that claims users are exposed to spyware due to pornographic content

The sample of Microsoft warning Alert

Microsoft Warning Alert is a scam that falls into tech support scam category. This fake warning message is typically displayed to users when they are browsing the web without much thinking and enter a wrong URL into the search bar. Such search queries can easily redirect them to an unreliable website (storage.googleapis.com in this case) that displays a Microsoft virus alert. However, you should always look for the green HTTPS mark indicating that the page is real. Additionally, if you have been dealing with such redirects constantly, it means that your system is infected with adware that alters web browsers and additionally reroutes them to predetermined websites. Here, you are urged to contact Microsoft Tech Support via the provided number[1] to get rid of the “spyware and riskware.” Unfortunately, users typically end up paying money to cybercriminals without realizing that they just have been scammed. 

NameS Microsoft scam alert
Type Adware
Sub-type Tech support scam
Danger level Medium. Might lead to malware infection, sensitive detail disclosure and lost/stolen money
main risks
  • Redirects to malicious websites; 
  • Revealing personal data;
  • Installing fake tools promoted by the scam.
  • Giving a remote control to a hacker
Distribution Software bundling, suspicious ads
Symptoms Fake Microsoft alerts redirects to fake support websites
Elimination Get rid of the malware by using an anti-malware tool or follow manual instructions below
Repair Malicious programs can trigger various issues, so you should run FortectIntego to find and possibly fix virus damage yourself

An ordinary Microsoft virus finds its victim out of nowhere and includes 0x80072ee7 (Error # 0x80072ee7, for example) numbers to make it look even more genuine. Additionally, the virus reports pornographic spyware which can be fixed only by “certified Microsoft technicians.” In reality, there is no virus on the system except adware which is redirecting you to the fake tech support pages.

The fake Microsoft spyware alert typically displays the following or similar texts: 

** Microsoft Warning Alert **
Malicious Pornographic Spyware/Riskware Detected
Error # 0x80072ee7
Please call us immediately at: 0-800-046-5729
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
> Credit Card 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.
Toll Free: 0-800-046-5729

Important security alert!
Virus intrusions detected on your computer.
Your personal data and system files may be at serious risk.
All system resources are halted to prevent any damage.
Please call customer service immediately to report these threats now.

There are several variations of the text displayed, but one thing is always the same –  crooks are fast to use the name of Microsoft company in order to make their messages more trustworthy. However, we can assure you that this is a Microsoft virus scam that has nothing to do with real technicians. Keep in mind that they would never ask you to contact them via the telephone – the company also explains that in their scam warning article.[2] 

After clicking on the fake Microsoft Warning Alert, you can notice that they are pointing to nowhere. Besides, you should always check the URL of the website sending you such ads – remember that the original company's site is Microsoft.com, not some suspicious microsoft.com-input11.info, critical-microsoft-alert.info, or support.googleapis.com page. These sites are seeking to look like official ones to gain victims' trust. However, please pay attention to small details such as site’s URL or grammar mistakes[3] left in the text – they reveal that the website has no relations with this tech giant.

Usually, users get redirected to Microsoft virus phishing websites when they mistype URLs or browse through shady Internet websites. However, they can also get redirected to them after installing a malicious program on their computers. The malicious program starts redirecting the user to these phishing sites without stopping because its main task is to convince him/her to call fake tech support.

Microsoft scam alert

Typical tech support scam, including the Microsoft Warning Alert scam, is seeking to encourage the victim to provide personal details or even credit card details or convince one to purchase a pack of free and useless software. It is not a secret that cybercrooks often sure social engineering expertise to convince users that their personal information and computer safety is at risk.

Additionally, fake technicians threaten users that their machine will be locked to “prevent further damage.” Once the call is made by the victim, fraudsters can try to resell a legitimate anti-spyware program for a much higher price and add Adblocker as a “bonus,” however you need to know that Adblocker is a free program.

If a Microsoft scam alert is showing fake warnings, perform a thorough system scan with anti-spyware software to find all malicious components that are responsible for redirects to phishing Microsoft websites. If your machine is clear of PUPs and malware, make sure you close down your Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox or another browser immediately after redirection to a suspicious site. Before reopening your browser, verify that the previously opened tabs are not opening again.

To remove Microsoft Warning Alert, use FortectIntego to do it quickly and without wasting your time. Note that this is the easiest way to get rid of adware programs from your system which only takes several minutes. Additionally, automatic elimination uninstalls all components which might be supporting the potentially unwanted program.

However, if you decide to challenge yourself and complete Microsoft Warning Alert removal by yourself, make sure that you have the necessary skills and knowledge. Our manual termination guidelines can help you complete the elimination procedure successfully. For that, you are advised to follow the instructions carefully.

Microsoft Warning Alert virusWays to recognize the fake Microsoft Scam Alert

Let us explain how you can distinguish a genuine notification from a Microsoft virus scam. First of all, it doesn’t matter if your computer automatically opens or redirects you to such website that is full of official logos. The message is a scam if:

  • You get redirected to a shady site that activates pop-up messages;
  • The website urges you to call a Microsoft technician within 5 minutes;
  • You cannot easily exit the page unless you click on “Prevent this page from creating additional dialogs;”
  • Fake alerts often frighten users with the Zeus virus or threaten that your Facebook account or credit card credentials might be stolen as well as display pornographic spyware alert.

The reason why these fake alerts appear

The main distribution technique employed by the developers of PUPs is bundling their products with free applications and setting Quick/Recommended parameters of the installer as default. 

Note that these settings are configured to install all “recommended” pieces of software from third-party partners, and these programs tend to be entirely useless. If you want to avoid installing unwanted programs, better switch pre-selected installation mode to Custom or Advanced one.

Then you will get permission to drop off additional applications bundled with your download, so take this opportunity without any hesitation. Decompose the software pack by deselecting extra programs and then proceed to the next step of software setup.

Also, experts from Bedynet.ru[4] recommend you to avoid opening suspicious email attachments especially if you received them from unknown individuals – these attachments can rapidly compromise the computer without giving you a chance to stop the attack before the damage is done.

Microsoft spyware alert

How do you get rid of fake Microsoft Security Warning

Fake warnings are very common these days, and it is vital to understand how to get rid of them successfully. To remove Microsoft Warning Alert, you have two options — either eliminate it manually from your web browsers to stop it from appearing or get rid of this thing automatically.

It is clear that the automatic virus termination method is not only faster but also safer. Security software can complete Microsoft spyware alert removal within several minutes, including the elimination of its additional elements which might continue disrupting you if left on the system. Therefore, we strongly suggest relying on the antivirus tool if you are not an experienced computer user.

However, people who want to uninstall Microsoft Security Warning PopUp manually should be aware of the potential dangers which might permanently damage their systems. Note that not only the adware-related components might keep displaying fake warnings, but also you might accidentally delete files that are necessary for your OS.

Likewise, we suggest you use the instructions given below. They are prepared by our IT experts to help you uninstall the Microsoft virus and reset your browser to the primary state.  

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.

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

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4 comments

  1. adam

    screw tech support scammers! they are fools that do not know what to do with their lives! pure cyber criminals!

  2. JosieP

    I am so glad that i didnt call that number..

  3. Genevieve

    ///Malicious Prnographic Spyware/Riskware Detected// oh lord:d what a foolish way to swindle money from naive computer users. I just simply cannot believe how imprudent tech support scammers are!

  4. leon

    damn tech support scammers. saying theyre from microsoft and stuff. lol.

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