“Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” Tech support scam (Microsoft Support Scam) - Tutorial
“Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” Tech support scam Removal Guide
What is “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” Tech support scam?
What does the “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” alert actually mean?
Lock screen Technical Support Scams [1] are currently booming and “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” virus is one of the latest ones we want to talk about in this article. Over the years, tech support scam viruses have evolved and are now using more serious techniques of infecting users computers and achieving their goals once there. One of the most recently acquired strategies is the already mentioned screen locking [2] function. Setting up a lock screen is the first thing the virus does once it infiltrates the computer. It does that by altering Windows registry and assigning a lock screen to appear at the system’s startup. This way, the victims are unable to access their files and any of the computer functions in general. It is a good starting point of the scammers’ attempt to convince [3] the victims into thinking their devices are in a critical state and must be handled by professional technicians. “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” malware tries to do that with the following message:
This site says:
Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address.
Cydoor Spyware may have caused a security breach at your network location.
Your personal and financial information might be at risk. Call Toll Free 1-800-990-183.
Please Contact Microsoft Certified technicians at Toll Free HelpLine: 1-800-990-183
Please do not shut down or restart your browser.
As you can see, the scammers even speak under the name of the “Microsoft Certified technicians” to sound more believable. But the truth is, the actual party behind this warning is not trying to help you. On the opposite, these scammers are only try to help themselves, sell shady software or services and earn some easy money. So if this virus ever infiltrates your PC, be sure to remove “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” without calling anyone and, more importantly, spending money on questionable goods. Keep in mind that anti-malware software like FortectIntego can quickly navigate this virus on your computer and eliminate it without a problem.
Also, you shouldn’t forget that “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” lock screen is just a tip of the iceberg. You can never know what other unwanted activities this potentially unwanted program (PUP) [4] can engage in. You might find your personal data being leaked to black market or other privacy infringements may take place, thus we highly suggest taking care of the “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” removal when you have the first chance.
What causes Tech Support Scam infection?
Usually, careless web browsing [5] is the root cause of the infection and random software installation only increases the chance of becoming a target of the Tech Support Scam. What is important to keep in mind is that viruses like “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” will need your direct permission to enter the computer. Thus, you should be especially careful when installing freeware or shareware packages downloaded from the internet. Such packages usually contain a variety of bundled software and “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” virus can easily be one of these bundled components.
“Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” removal:
Despite the panic and inconveniences that the “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” virus may trigger, it is not a difficult virus to get rid of. This malware can be approached either manually or automatically, the latter being a more preferred option. However, despite which “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” removal strategy you choose, you still have to get rid of the lock screen first. We will give a couple suggestions on how to tackle this obstacle below. Then, when the lock screen is eliminated you can move on and take steps to remove “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” virus.
Getting rid of “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” Tech support scam. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
You can try closing the lock screen by simultaneously pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL buttons and accessing the Windows Task Manager. Through this manager you can then terminate suspicious processes, including the one that is responsible for the the lock screen. When you bypass this obstacle, do not forget to remove the virus from your computer. Otherwise, you will see the same lock screen next time you boot your computer.
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. – it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Remove “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” Tech support scam using System Restore
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Step 1: Reboot your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows 7 / Vista / XP- Click Start → Shutdown → Restart → OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
-
Select Command Prompt from the list
Windows 10 / Windows 8- Press the Power button at the Windows login screen. Now press and hold Shift, which is on your keyboard, and click Restart..
- Now select Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings and finally press Restart.
-
Once your computer becomes active, select Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt in Startup Settings window.
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Step 2: Restore your system files and settings
-
Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
-
Now type rstrui.exe and press Enter again..
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When a new window shows up, click Next and select your restore point that is prior the infiltration of “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” Tech support scam. After doing that, click Next.
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Now click Yes to start system restore.
-
Once the Command Prompt window shows up, enter cd restore and click Enter.
Bonus: Recover your data
Guide which is presented above is supposed to help you remove “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” Tech support scam from your computer. To recover your encrypted files, we recommend using a detailed guide prepared by 2-spyware.com security experts.If your files are encrypted by “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” Tech support scam, you can use several methods to restore them:
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from “Windows has detected some suspicious activity from your IP address” Tech support scam and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting malware
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
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- ^ Tech Support Scams – Help. Malwarebytes labs blog.
- ^ Jérôme Segura. Tech support scammers get serious with screen lockers. Malwarebytes labs blog.
- ^ David Bisson. The Four Most Common Evasive Techniques Used by Malware. Tripwire. THE STATE OF SECURITY News. Trends. Insights..
- ^ Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP). Techopedia. Tech encyclopedia.
- ^ Joel Lee. 7 Mistakes You’re Making While Browsing the Web. MakeUseOf. Technology. Simplified.