'Your Computer Has Been Blocked' Technical Support Scam

Online technical support tactics remain a very profitable scheme for con artists who want to trick users into paying hundreds of dollars for fake services or products. Typically, such tactics operate by warning users that their computer is in danger because of a serious issue or malware and that they can solve the issue by following the instructions seen in the message. The 'Your Computer Has Been Blocked' technical support scam is one of these cons, and it is being promoted online through pop-ups, ads, and redirects hosted on low-quality websites.

If you encounter the 'Your Computer Has Been Blocked' technical support scam, you may often be left under the impression that it is a legitimate message. This is because the authors of these tactics have put in some effort to make them look credible. For example, they may include:

• The user's IP address.
• The browser and operating system you are using currently.
• The name of a real malware family, which has infected your computer supposedly.
• Logos of legitimate companies or products. For example, con artists often impersonate Microsoft to try and win the trust of potential victims.

The 'Your Computer Has Been Blocked' technical support scam usually asks users to call a phone number to receive phone assistance. One of the phone numbers linked to this tactic is 844-556-7757, but it is likely that many other numbers might be used by the fraudsters. They warn users that their computers will only be unblocked after contacting them and that they may be at risk of having their information collected by cybercriminals. We assure you that everything in the 'Your Computer Has Been Blocked' technical support scam is made up, and you do not need to trust a word you see in the pop-up message.

If you encounter such messages while browsing the Web, we suggest ignoring their contents and leaving the website immediately. Remember that credible technical support companies would never promote their services by using online pop-ups and warnings like the ones described above.