How to spot scams like "Security Protection Center"

What is "Security Protection Center"?

After examining the page, it has come to light that its intent is to deceive visitors by making them believe their computers are compromised. This website runs a pop-up scam in which counterfeit messages surface, asserting the detection of security threats. Typically, these types of pages are utilized with the aim of pilfering sensitive data or money.

"Security Protection Center" scam in detail

Upon visiting the page, unsuspecting visitors are confronted with alarming messages suggesting that their computers are riddled with security threats, malware, and privacy vulnerabilities. These messages, which falsely claim that 28 security threats have been detected, create a sense of urgency and panic, pressuring users into taking immediate action.

The page preys on individuals' concerns about the safety of their digital assets and personal information, effectively coercing them into believing that they must subscribe to an antivirus protection service priced at $3.99 per month to resolve these fabricated issues.

This deceptive page is particularly insidious because it uses fear and false urgency to manipulate users. By employing fear tactics and warning of potential data breaches, network spoofing, and spyware attacks, it attempts to coerce users into making a rash decision to purchase the purported antivirus protection service.

In reality, this deceptive page seeks to exploit users by deceiving them into subscribing to a service they do not need and extracting their money through fraudulent means. Moreover, this site may be employed to extract sensitive details such as credit card details, names, surnames, addresses, and more.

It is important to mention that this site asks permission to send notifications. These notifications may promote similar scams, potentially malicious applications, and other unreliable content. Thus, it is strongly recommended not to allow such pages to show notifications.

Threat Summary:

Name	Security Protection Center scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Computer is infected with multiple viruses
Disguise	Notification from Security Protection Center
Related Domain	kmarogiveaways[.]com, secured-trusted-verified-session[.]top
Detection Names (kmarogiveaways[.]com)	CRDF (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
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 scams in general

In most cases, scams of this kind exploit users' fear and create a sense of urgency by claiming imminent threats to their security or data, often threatening dire consequences if immediate action is not taken. They employ psychological tactics to pressure users into making hasty decisions, often preventing them from considering the legitimacy of the claims or seeking independent advice.

Examples of similar scams are "Avast - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses! POP-UP Scam", "Error Code: W9KA528V POP-UP Scam", and "Subscription Renewed Successfully For 349$ POP-UP Scam".

How did I open a scam website?

Users may click on misleading or enticing online ads, pop-ups, or banners that redirect them to scam websites, especially those promising free or exclusive offers. Also, scammers often send phishing emails with links that lead to scam websites. Unsuspecting users may click on these links, believing they are from legitimate sources.

In other cases, scam websites can appear in search engine results, often disguised as legitimate pages. Users may click on these results while searching for information or services. Torrent sites, pages offering to download videos from YouTube, illegal movie streaming sites, notifications from dubious sites, etc., can also lead users to scam pages.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Refrain from clicking on enticing or suspicious ads, pop-ups, or offers. Verify the credibility of the source before interacting with any online content. Be cautious when clicking on links in emails, especially from unknown or unsolicited sources. Always check the website's URL for legitimacy.

Ensure that your browser is up to date. Install reputable antivirus and anti-malware software to help detect and block scam websites and malicious content. If your computer is already infected with unwanted apps, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

The appearance of "Security Protection Center" pop-up scam (GIF):

Text in this scam page:

Security Protection Center
 

Network Security
Looking good

Malware & Virus
Issues found

Privacy Leakage
Issues found
(28) security threats are detected!
Immediate action is required to avoid data leakage, network spoofing, phishing attacks, spyware and improper session handling.
Tap the button to subscribe the antivirus protection service on the next page for only $3.99/month, and activate it to remove all the security threats immediately. **Exit at your own risk**

Tracking by 20+ unknown malwares and malicious codes.

10+ Malicious applications have been installed in background and hidden.
Fix Now

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▼ 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 Security Protection Center scam?
• 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?

A pop-up scam is a deceptive tactic employed online to trick users into taking certain actions, often involving fraudulent advertisements or messages that appear as pop-up windows on their screens. These pop-ups typically convey alarming or enticing information, such as fake security alerts, prize notifications, or urgent requests for personal information or payment.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

The objective of pop-up scams is to manipulate users into clicking on the pop-up content, leading them to potentially malicious websites, divulging sensitive data, or falling victim to fraudulent schemes.

Why do I encounter fake pop-ups?

Pop-up scams are typically disseminated through malicious websites, and the majority of users do not access them directly. Instead, users are often redirected to these sites either by existing malicious applications or when visiting websites that employ rogue advertising networks (e.g., torrent sites and illegal movie streaming platforms).

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner is engineered to conduct thorough scans of every website you visit, enabling it to identify potentially malicious ones. This includes websites designed to propagate pop-up scams that fall within its detection capabilities. Consequently, Combo Cleaner promptly issues warnings and restricts access to such deceptive sites, ensuring a safer browsing experience for users.

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