I got a pop up message from Windows defender security warning that my laptop has been blocked

Hello, this is Emily.

If the pop up is still there, can you please hold down Ctrl+Alt+Del, then launch Task Manager, and then end all browser items there to close it. That page is definitely scam, but as long as you didn't call the number and engage in any of the requested activities, your computer is not hacked. It is just a pop up page that can have some audio effect (sometimes) and display in full screen mode, so it appears the computer is locked.

Scammers use various methods to trigger these pop-ups. Pop-ups are a form of online advertising. They are often integrated into websites or applications through ad services. Many websites use third-party advertising services to display ads. Sometimes, these ad services might inadvertently allow scam ads to be displayed. This does not mean the website itself is malicious, but it indicates a lack of stringent ad vetting.

You can read more about this type of support scam here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/pro...

On your browsers, you can make sure pop up is not allowed.

In addition, you can go to Windows Settings > Privacy & Security > General. Tun off "Let apps show me personalized ads by using my adversting ID"

Hi Emily, thanks for clarifying. How can we ensure that websites dont allow these kind of ads.

Thanks,

Naga

Thank you Emily.

I fell for it. Now I’m scared to turn my computer back on and find the malware to remove it.