McAfee - Threats Detected. Action Required! POP-UP Scam

What kind of scam is "McAfee - Threats Detected. Action Required!"?

Our analysis shows that this is a scam involving fake alerts designed to trick visitors into taking immediate action. It uses scare tactics to promote other sites, which may include malicious pages. Users should close websites of this kind if they encounter them to avoid the associated risks.

McAfee - Threats Detected. Action Required! scam

"McAfee - Threats Detected. Action Required!" scam in detail

The page displays a warning claiming that threats have been detected and that immediate action is required. It states that the user's McAfee subscription has expired and that activation is needed to complete virus removal and maintain protection. The message also warns that if the computer remains unprotected, personal and banking information could be accessed by hackers.

Another fraudulent message in the background claims that active threats have been found due to visits to risky sites, and an immediate scan is required. The goal of these fake warnings is to trick visitors into clicking the provided "options" (like the "Proceed" button).

Interacting with such scams can direct users to other untrustworthy websites designed to steal information or money (including cryptocurrency) or distribute unwanted (or malicious) software. During our inspection, the scam site was found promoting an affiliate link that allows scammers to earn money when users click it, sign up, or make payments.

It is important to note that scam websites can sometimes promote real, legitimate products or services through affiliate programs. They do this to make the scam look more trustworthy and to earn commissions. Legitimate companies being promoted are not involved in scams and usually have no knowledge that their products or services are being advertised in this deceptive way.

Threat Summary:
Name	McAfee - Threats Detected. Action Required! fake warning
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Threats on the user's computer has been detected
Disguise	Legitimate virus alert
Related Domain	phicippics[.]com
Detection Names	alphaMountain.ai (Malicious), Combo Cleaner (Malware), ESET (Malware), Kaspersky (Phishing), Sophos (Malware), 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.

Similar scams in general

Fake security warnings on scam sites are meant to scare users into taking immediate action by clicking deceptive buttons or links. Doing so can lead to financial loss, data theft, or the installation of unwanted software. Users should ignore such alerts and avoid interacting with scam pages.

Examples of similar scams are "Critical Security Alert", "Renew Your Antivirus", and "TotalAV - Security Threat Detected".

How did I open a scam website?

Most scam websites are promote using notifications from untrustworthy sites, advertisements (and links or buttons) on dubious sites, and fraudulent emails containing links. Adware installed on devices can also be used to promote scam content. In other cases, scammers send links using fake or stolen accounts on social media.

Additionally, users can land on scam sites while visiting pages associated with unreliable advertising networks. These networks are commonly encounterd on torrent sites, pages offering illegal movie streaming services, adult websites, etc.

How to avoid visiting scam pages?

Regularly install available updates for your operating system and apps, and download programs and files only from official pages or app stores. Treat unexpected emails or messages with caution and avoid clicking on anything they contain. Ignore misleading ads and pop-ups on questionable websites.

Do not agree to receive notifications from shady sites. Also, regularly scan your computer using dependable security software. 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 "McAfee - Threats Detected. Action Required!" scam (GIF):

Appearance of McAfee - Threats Detected. Action Required! scam

Text in the fake warning:

THREATS DETECTED. ACTION REQUIRED!
Your McAfee subscription has expired!

Activation is required to finalize virus removal and keep protection active.

If your PC is unprotected, your personal and banking information is at risk of being accessed by hackers.

Proceed

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.

Quick menu:

What is McAfee - Threats Detected. Action Required! fake warning?
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:

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 usually involves unexpected messages on the screen claiming there is a serious issue or urgent situation. These pop-ups are made to look like real system alerts, antivirus warnings, security notices, or other messages to seem trustworthy.

What is the purpose of a pop-up scam?

In most cases, the purpose of such scams is to trick users into downloading unwanted or potentially malicious software, sharing personal information, making payments, or visiting other unsafe websites.

Why do I encounter scam sites?

Scam websites are commonly spread through untrustworthy notifications, misleading ads or links on shady sites, phishing emails, and social media messages from fake or stolen accounts. They can also appear through adware or unreliable advertising networks often found on torrent, illegal streaming, or adult websites.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from pop-up scams?

Combo Cleaner can scan websites you visit and can identify those that are malicious. Pop-up scam sites are included in this, so the software will warn you right away and block access to them.