Home Malware Programs Browser Hijackers '866-523-6556' Pop-Ups

'866-523-6556' Pop-Ups

Posted: March 24, 2016

The '866-523-6556' pop-ups are Microsoft technical support hoaxes that may load through your Web browser. These tactics may help con artists ask for money in return for services they fail to provide or trick you into giving them access to your PC. Most persistent '866-523-6556' pop-ups and other Web-based threats should be removable with your anti-malware products.

Running from One Computer Malfunction into the Arms of Another One

Many phishing campaigns restrict their targets to specific PC users, such as Mac owners browsing the Web with Safari, or users of other OSes surfing with Chrome. However, only some of the attacks may self-limit their potential targets. In other campaigns, like the one now promoting the '866-523-6556' pop-ups, PC users may be targeted in a less discriminatory fashion, without having any de facto protection from using an incompatible brand of browser. The '866-523-6556' pop-ups currently are most reliably confirmed for triggering in Chrome and Firefox.

Like the browsers targeted in these attacks, the '866-523-6556' pop-ups may be launched by multiple types of PC threats, including at least two varieties of browser hijackers. Once delivered, they may provide fake Microsoft security information, implying that your PC has been compromised by a high-level threat or is suffering from a significant hardware failure. The computer user is asked to refrain from taking other actions, including closing the '866-523-6556' pop-ups or rebooting, after contacting a toll-free number for technical assistance.

Since the '866-523-6556' pop-ups may expose you to con artists who may take variable actions, malware experts can't offer any absolute predictions of all their consequential damages. However, con artists involved in similar phishing attacks may focus one or more of the following responses:

  • Con artists may demand remote access to your PC, which they can use for taking information, changing system settings or installing threats. Remote access may be granted through a third-party utility that may not necessarily be a threat, but may require your consent for being installed.
  • Most phishing attacks may culminate in selling fake security products or services, supposedly meant to remedy the fictional security problems pronounced in the '866-523-6556' pop-ups. Typically, con artists will ask for upfront payments without delivering any tangible goods or services afterward.

Melting the the '866-523-6556' pop-ups Down to Nothing

The '866-523-6556' pop-ups may claim to warn the user about dubious system errors such as an 'imminent meltdown' or a 'serious malfunction,' but, unlike real Windows warnings, don't offer pertinent recovery information of any kind. Windows users, in particular, should be capable of identifying the usual signs of a phishing pop-up attack, most of which are evident in the '866-523-6556' pop-ups. These symptoms may include being asked to contact a phone number, an inability to close a browser window, being blocked from using other applications, and being warned that taking other actions will somehow damage your entire PC.

The relatively least urgent cases of the '866-523-6556' pop-ups may launch themselves through corrupted sites or compromised advertisement networks, which you can avoid in the future. However, the '866-523-6556' pop-ups also may be vehicles for loading other, threatening content, which is why scanning your PC after an encounter with such an attack is recommended for your general safety. Malware experts also have seen various browser-hijacking programs creating the '866-523-6556' pop-ups, which they may do by modifying desktop shortcuts or various Web-browsing settings. Most anti-malware programs that can remove these threats also should be capable of reversing their other modifications.

It can be tempting to think of choosing the 'safest' Web browser as a potent means of protection against website-created threats. While there is some minor truth to that sentiment, threats like the '866-523-6556' pop-ups also show that hoaxes may deliver themselves through multiple programs and by various methods.

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