Do not trust "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses" sites

What kind of scam is "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses"?

While inspecting dubious websites, our research team discovered the "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses" scam. It claims that the visitor's computer has suffered a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack and was infected. In most cases, false threat alerts are used to endorse untrustworthy, fraudulent, and malicious applications.

"Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses" scam overview

When we accessed a site running "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses", it presented us with a "security alert" from "McAfee". The pop-up stated that the visitor's device had experienced a DDoS attack and was infected with viruses. It urged to scan the system and eliminate all threats.

The supposed McAfee anti-virus ran a system scan continuously "detecting" threats, which were detailed in pop-ups at the bottom right corner of the page.

It must be emphasized that all the information provided by this scam is false, and this deceptive content is in no way associated with the McAfee Corp. or any of its products.

Typically, scams of this kind are used to promote software like fake anti-viruses, browser hijackers, adware, and various Potentially Unwanted Aapplications (PUAs).

In some instances, schemes redirect to the official webpages of legitimate products or services. This promotion is due to scammers seeking to obtain illegitimate commissions through the abuse of the endorsed content's affiliate programs.

There are rare instances where schemes of this type are employed to proliferate trojans, ransomware, cryptocurrency miners, and other malware.

To summarize, by trusting a scam like "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses" – users may experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	"Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses" pop-up
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Visitor's computer suffered a DDoS attack and was infected.
Disguise	McAfee
Related Domains	wisstux[.]info, pkrqiu[.]info, totalantiviruspc[.]online
Detection Names (wisstux[.]info)	Avira (Malware), CRDF (Malicious), CyRadar (Malicious), VIPRE (Malware), Yandex Safebrowsing (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (wisstux[.]info)	104.21.68.118
Symptoms	Fake error messages, fake system warnings, pop-up errors, hoax computer scan.
Distribution methods	Compromised websites, rogue online pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft, possible malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Similar scam examples

The Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content. Popular scams include threat/virus alerts, critical errors, outdated software warnings, shipping issues, subscription cancellations/renewals, giveaways, lotteries, product promotions, and so on. Regardless of what scams claim – the end goal is to generate revenue at victims' expense.

We have examined thousands of online scams; "TotalAV Security - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!", "Google Safe Browser Total Protection", and "CCleaner Total Protection" are merely a few examples of ones similar to "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses".

How did I open a scam website?

Deceptive webpages can be force-opened the moment a site that uses rogue advertising networks is accessed. Additionally, rogue websites can generate redirects to the former when hosted content is interacted with (e.g., clicking text input fields, buttons, links, ads, etc.).

Misspelling a webpage's URL can also result in a redirect (or a redirection chain leading) to a scam page. Intrusive advertisements and spam browser notifications endorse online scams as well. In fact, spam in general (e.g., emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, forum/ social media posts, etc.) is utilized in scam promotion. Furthermore, adware can display ads that push online scams and/or force-open websites running them.

How to avoid visiting scam websites?

Since fraudulent and dangerous online content usually appears legitimate and harmless – we strongly recommend exercising caution while browsing. For example, while intrusive adverts and spam browser notifications appear harmless – they redirect to highly questionable websites (e.g., scam-promoting, gambling, adult dating, pornography, etc.).

We advise against using sites that offer pirated programs/media or other questionable services (e.g., Torrenting, illegal streaming or downloading, etc.) since these webpages typically use rogue advertising networks. We also recommend paying attention to URLs and typing them with care.

To avoid receiving unwanted browser notifications – do not permit dubious pages to deliver them (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.). Instead, deny notification delivery from such sites (i.e., select "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.) or ignore these requests altogether.

Another recommendation is to be careful with incoming emails and other messages. Attachments or links found in suspicious/irrelevant mail must not be opened, as they can be harmful.

To prevent bundled/dangerous software from infiltrating the system – download only from official/verified sources and approach installations with vigilance (e.g., read terms, use "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt out of all additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.).

If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.

Text presented in "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses" pop-up:

McAfee
Together is power.

Security Alert

 

Your PC has been DDoS attacked and infected with viruses

Immediately scan your computer and remove all threats!

[Scan]

The appearance of "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses" pop-up scam (GIF):

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is "Your PC Has Been DDoS Attacked And Infected With Viruses" pop-up?
• How to identify a pop-up scam?
• How do pop-up scams work?
• How to remove fake pop-ups?
• How to prevent fake pop-ups?
• What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

How to identify a pop-up scam?

Pop-up windows with various fake messages are a common type of lures cybercriminals use. They collect sensitive personal data, trick Internet users into calling fake tech support numbers, subscribe to useless online services, invest in shady cryptocurrency schemes, etc.

While in the majority of cases these pop-ups don't infect users' devices with malware, they can cause direct monetary loss or could result in identity theft.

Cybercriminals strive to create their rogue pop-up windows to look trustworthy, however, scams typically have the following characteristics:

• Spelling mistakes and non-professional images - Closely inspect the information displayed in a pop-up. Spelling mistakes and unprofessional images could be a sign of a scam.
• Sense of urgency - Countdown timer with a couple of minutes on it, asking you to enter your personal information or subscribe to some online service.
• Statements that you won something - If you haven't participated in a lottery, online competition, etc., and you see a pop-up window stating that you won.
• Computer or mobile device scan - A pop-up window that scans your device and informs of detected issues - is undoubtedly a scam; webpages cannot perform such actions.
• Exclusivity - Pop-up windows stating that only you are given secret access to a financial scheme that can quickly make you rich.

Example of a pop-up scam:

How do pop-up scams work?

Cybercriminals and deceptive marketers usually use various advertising networks, search engine poisoning techniques, and shady websites to generate traffic to their pop-ups. Users land on their online lures after clicking on fake download buttons, using a torrent website, or simply clicking on an Internet search engine result.

Based on users' location and device information, they are presented with a scam pop-up. Lures presented in such pop-ups range from get-rich-quick schemes to fake virus scans.

How to remove fake pop-ups?

In most cases, pop-up scams do not infect users' devices with malware. If you encountered a scam pop-up, simply closing it should be enough. In some cases scam, pop-ups may be hard to close; in such cases - close your Internet browser and restart it.

In extremely rare cases, you might need to reset your Internet browser. For this, use our instructions explaining how to reset Internet browser settings.

How to prevent fake pop-ups?

To prevent seeing pop-up scams, you should visit only reputable websites. Torrent, Crack, free online movie streaming, YouTube video download, and other websites of similar reputation commonly redirect Internet users to pop-up scams.

To minimize the risk of encountering pop-up scams, you should keep your Internet browsers up-to-date and use reputable anti-malware application. For this purpose, we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

What to do if you fell for a pop-up scam?

This depends on the type of scam that you fell for. Most commonly, pop-up scams try to trick users into sending money, giving away personal information, or giving access to one's device.

• If you sent money to scammers: You should contact your financial institution and explain that you were scammed. If informed promptly, there's a chance to get your money back.
• If you gave away your personal information: You should change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication in all online services that you use. Visit Federal Trade Commission to report identity theft and get personalized recovery steps.
• If you let scammers connect to your device: You should scan your computer with reputable anti-malware (we recommend Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows) - cyber criminals could have planted trojans, keyloggers, and other malware, don't use your computer until removing possible threats.
• Help other Internet users: report Internet scams to Federal Trade Commission.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a pop-up scam?

Basically, pop-up scams are messages intended to deceive users into performing certain actions. For example, victims can be tricked into calling fake support lines, making monetary transactions, disclosing sensitive information, downloading/installing software, purchasing products, subscribing to services, and so forth.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

Pop-up scams, like all other types, aim to generate revenue. Cyber criminals profit predominantly by obtaining funds through deception, selling or abusing private data, promoting content (e.g., websites, software, products, services, etc.), and spreading malware.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are hosted on deceptive webpages, which are seldom accessed intentionally. Most visitors enter these pages via redirects generated by misspelled URLs, websites using rogue advertising networks, spam browser notifications, intrusive ads, or installed adware.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner is designed to scan visited websites and detect deceptive/malicious ones (including those that promote pop-up scams). Hence, should you enter such a webpage – you will be warned immediately, and further access to it will be restricted.

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