“Zeus.2022 Trojan Detected” scam (fake) - Free Guide

What is “Zeus.2022 Trojan Detected” scam?

“Zeus.2022 Trojan Detected” scam might look like an alert from Microsoft but it is a creation of fraudsters

"Zeus.2022 Trojan Detected" is a phishing scam created to exploit Windows users

“Zeus.2022 Trojan Detected” is a fake message that tries to trick users into thinking that their system is infected. The page is designed to look like a Windows security alert so it would appear more trustworthy. It is clear that Microsoft has nothing to do with this fraudulent campaign.

Such scams can lead to other dangerous websites. Crooks can use social engineering techniques to lure out personal information, fool people into downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),^[1] or even malware.^[2] This can result in monetary losses, identity theft, and operating system damage.

“Zeus.2022 Trojan Detected” pop-ups

The scam page can also start spamming users with annoying pop-up messages that look like security alerts. These are push notifications that can appear even when the browser is closed. The full message reads as follows:

Zeus.2022 Trojan Detected
Your computer is in danger!
Windows Security: click here to remove VIRUS

Crooks could be using rogue advertising networks that also redirect users to dangerous pages, like bogus “Downloader” sites, fake software offers, etc. You should never click on the links embedded in these pop-ups, let alone install anything into your system.

Push notifications are often enabled by users themselves without even realizing it. However, this can also be caused by a browser hijacker. Usually, it comes as a browser extension that gets attached to the browser and gains various permissions to change the main settings.

"Zeus.2022 Trojan Detected" bombards users with fake security alerts

Distribution methods

Scam pages can rarely be found through search results. Most of the time, they hide in other shady pages that are unregulated. For example, illegal streaming platforms are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. They can open new tabs with harmful pages. You should avoid clicking on random links and be careful of fake “Download” and “Play” buttons.

Sometimes scam pages can open without any user input with the help of advertising-supported software. Adware is a type of PUP (potentially unwanted program) that can generate commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects on a machine without the users' knowledge.

There is a big possibility that you have adware or another type of PUA installed in your machine that is redirecting you to pages from unsafe advertising networks. Such programs often get inside the operating system with freeware.^[3] Freeware distribution sites use software bundling to make a profit, which means they include additional programs in the installers that monetize user activity.

In order to prevent this from happening, use only official web stores and developer websites. Even though it might get costly, you may save in the long run by not having your system damaged or falling into the traps of Internet scams. You can also choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation method so no steps would be hidden from you. It is very important to check the file list and untick the boxes next to any unnecessary programs if there are any.

Look for malicious browser extensions

This “Zeus.2022 Trojan Detected” scam page could have appeared because you have a malicious extension added to your browser. Web-based applications can gain control over your browser and change important settings. Then the app can start generating pop-ups, banners, and causing redirects to shady websites. We suggest you go to your browser settings and remove the plugins you have added one by one to see if you notice any difference:

Google Chrome

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

Mozilla Firefox

• Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the window's top-right).
• Select Add-ons.
• In here, select the unwanted plugin and click Remove.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
• Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

MS Edge (legacy)

• Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
• From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
• Click on Uninstall at the bottom.

Clear your browsers from cookies

You should also take care of your browsers by clearing them from any tracking technologies that could have been deployed by suspicious sites. Cookies^[4] and cache are normally used to personalize the user experience by showing people relevant results and suggestions catered to their hobbies.

However, cookies can also be used by fraudsters to make a profit. They can be sold to advertising networks or other third parties and used to target you with bogus ads even more. Besides that, fraudsters then gain access to information like your IP address, geolocation, websites you visit, links you click on, and things you purchase online.

You can use a maintenance tool like FortectIntego to stop the tracking and delete the already collected data since it is stored on your device. It can also fix serious system errors, corrupted files, and registry issues which is especially helpful after a virus infection.

Scan your machine with professional security tools

The adware removal part can be tricky as it is often disguised as a “handy” tool to make it harder to identify. It could look like an antivirus, system optimizer, media player, you name it, so the best solution is to use professional security tools that can scan your machine and detect suspicious processes in the background.

SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are great options because they are proven and trusted anti-malware tools. They can detect most threats hiding in your machine, and eliminate them completely. Manual removal can sometimes result in the renewal of infection as users fail to eliminate all the related files that are hidden in various folders. However, if you still want to do this yourself, you can proceed with the guide below:

Windows

• Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
• Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
• From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
• Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
• If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
• Wait till the uninstallation process is complete and click OK.