Avoid being tricked by "system is badly damaged" pop-up scam.

What is The System Is Badly Damaged?

There are many various fake error, virus alert, and other similar messages online. The "Your System IS Badly Damaged" scam is similar to "Microsoft Support", "Install Java To Continue", and "Error Code :S112276". These fake messages are typically displayed when an untrustworthy, deceptive website is visited.

Most users arrive at these websites unintentionally, since potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) or intrusive advertisements cause redirects to them. PUAs are usually installed without users' direct permission, deliver intrusive advertisements, and collect browsing-related data.

The "The System Is Badly Damaged" fake message claims that the system is damaged by viruses and that it has found four. Note that the number of "found" viruses can vary. Research shows that the message is translated into a language that corresponds to the visitor's location. This scam urges people to remove these viruses by downloading software.

Scams such as "The System Is Badly Damaged" are often used to promote various apps, including Mac Cleanup Pro, GoPcPro, PC TuneUp Maestro, and many others. According to the displayed message, unless the offered software is used, system files, data, applications, and so on, might be damaged.

The message window includes a Windows logo, however, Microsoft is not involved in this. Scammers use the logo just to make this fake message seem legitimate. Do not download the software offered (fake system fixing software) and ignore the fake virus alert.

In most cases, developers (criminals) of these fake messages attempt to trick people into downloading and purchasing products or paying for services that will remove viruses or fix other problems. In fact, none of these will solve any problems, since the issues simply do not exist in the first place.

We recommend that you ignore these claims and close the website that caused this fake virus alert. Note that some websites of this type cannot be closed in the usual way - scripts are used to prevent people from closing them. In these cases, we recommend that you use Task Manager to 'force quit' the browser.

Alternatively, restart your computer. Do not restore the previously-closed session, since this will reopen the website that caused this fake virus alert (or open the website that led you there).

PUAs often redirect users to websites that display these fake virus alerts. Fake messages also deliver ads that are displayed using tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site. Therefore, they often conceal underlying content of visited websites and can be annoying.

Furthermore, once clicked, they might lead to untrustworthy, potentially malicious websites and execute scripts designed to download and install malicious software. PUAs also perform data tracking by recording Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, URLa of visited websites, keystrokes, geo-locations, search queries, and other data that might be sensitive/personal.

Developers share the details with third parties, who could also be cyber criminals. Having these apps installed can result in privacy issues or even identity theft. We strongly recommend that you uninstall all unwanted applications immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	"The System Is Badly Damaged" virus
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	The scam message claims that the system is damaged/infected and encourages visitor to download some questionable application.
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.

In summary, "The System Is Badly Damaged" is similar to most other fake messages. They claim to have found a virus, error, or other system problem on. Typically, these claims are just attempts to trick users into paying for products or services that they do not need. PUAs also have many similarities.

They are promoted as useful, and capable of enabling "useful features", however, once downloaded, they provide none of the functionality promised. Most PUAs are designed only to generate revenue for their developers by causing unwanted redirects, collecting data, and delivering ads. Few are legitimate.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

PUAs developers provide download of software from their official websites, however, most users are tricked into downloading and installing them through intrusive advertisements or a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". Bundling is stealth installation of potentially unwanted applications with regular software.

PUAs are often hidden in "Advanced"/"Custom" and other similar settings/options of the installation processes. Developers trick users into downloading/installing PUAs by not disclosing information about their presence. This problem is exacerbated by users who skip installation steps or do not check the settings .

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Avoid downloading software (especially if it is free) from untrustworthy sources/websites, using third party downloaders, or torrents. Use only official websites and direct links. Do not skip the software installation steps. Check "Advanced", "Custom", "Manual" and other similar parts of the installation process. Deselect unwanted software and only then finish the installation.

Bear in mind that intrusive ads may seem legitimate, but commonly redirect users to dubious websites (gambling, pornography, adult dating, and other similar websites). If you continually encounter these redirects, check your browser for unwanted extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins.

Also check for suspicious programs installed on your computer. Uninstall/remove suspicious entries immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in "The System Is Badly Damaged" pop-up:

Attention! infected operating system (4) viruses, and your system is defective. it is necessary to clean the system of viruses, as soon as possible

** Do not ignore this warning **

Screenshot of "The System Is Badly Damaged" second page:

Text presented within this page:

the system is badly damaged, virus found (4) ! 100%
We found that this is a 37.2% corrupted operating system and contains (4) viruses!
25 September 2019
Up to 90% of Computers are infected. Your computer has also been hacked!

if you don't remove the virus now, it can damage system files, data, applications, etc.
you have to do (step by step):
Step 1: press the button Download and charge for free now!
Step 2: Select and open the application to restore systems!

4 minute 48 second

DOWNLOAD >>

Appearance of "The System Is Badly Damaged" scam website:

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 "The System Is Badly Damaged" virus?
• 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.

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