'Hacking Alert' Pop-Ups

The 'Hacking Alert' pop-ups are scary and potentially threatening messages that users may come across while visiting low-quality websites. These pop-ups may open in a new window or tab, and impair the users' ability to use their Web browser by preventing them from switching tabs or closing the current one. Furthermore, the 'Hacking Alert' pop-ups may display numerous messages that contain technical details, error codes, and scary information about virus infections or other severe computer issues. The good news is that regardless of how scary these messages may sound, they are all fake, and the 'Hacking Alert' pop-ups are not an information source that can be trusted! These pop-ups show so much bogus information just so that they can trick users into contacting the technical support staff promoted in the same pop-ups. One of the phone numbers linked to the 'Hacking Alert' pop-ups is 800-098-8383. Apart from advising users to call this number, the 'Hacking Alert' pop-ups also instruct users to report 'Virus Code: 079-208-021' when they contact the support technician. There is no such thing as a virus code, and it is very likely that this is just a method of identification that tells the con artist what tactic scenario they should use for this particular user.

The consequences of calling 800-098-8383 and following the instructions you hear may be very severe depending on the things the con artists request. Often, these types of tactics aim the user's money, and the hoax authors try to sell 'useful' PC optimization software or anti-malware scanners that supposedly should improve the computer's health and security. It goes without saying that any software promoted by the 'Hacking Alert' pop-ups or the 'support team' behind 800-098-8383 is not legitimate.

Due to the aggressiveness of the 'Hacking Alert' pop-ups, users might have to fully terminate their Web browser to restore its functionality. If the 'Hacking Alert' pop-ups only appear when you visit a particular website, you can avoid the problem by simply not visiting the website in question. However, if these pop-ups show up while you browse legitimate pages consistently, you should use an anti-malware scanner to make sure that there isn't any suspicious software installed on your computer.