I am playing Microsoft Solitaire and there are scam McAfee adds on the boarder. You should not do that

Question

I play the Microsoft Solitaire game a lot. There are adds around the boarder. Recently I have been seeing scam "McAfee" adds saying "Your payment has failed. Update payment now". There is a "Renew" button to click. This looks to me like a classic scam add. I am surprised and disappointed that Microsoft would allow this add on their product. I would think they would want to know about this. I have a screenshot of the add on the game screen.

I am trying to report this to Microsoft and this is the only way I found so far to try to do it.

Answer 1

Hi! The McAfee ads are probably being caused by another reason. It's possibly a scam or an advertisement from McAfee itself.

Uninstall McAfee if you don't use it, and also check if there are notifications from unrecognized websites in your browsers.

1. Open Windows Settings (Press WINDOWS + I keys) > Select "Apps" > "Installed Apps".
2. Look for McAfee > Click 3 Dots > Uninstall > Wait for the program to be uninstalled > Restart your computer.
3. Open a browser you use frequently, such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

Microsoft Edge

Click the 3 Dots (●●●) > Settings > Privacy, search and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Notifications > Delete all websites you don't recognize.

Google Chrome

Click the 3 dots (●●●) > Settings > Privacy and Security > Site settings > Notifications > Delete all sites you don't recognize.

Answer 2

Those “McAfee” renewal messages in Microsoft Solitaire are almost certainly scam or misleading ads and should be treated as unsafe.

Actions to take immediately:

1. Do not click the ad
   • Do not select Renew, Update payment, or any other button in the ad.
   • Close the game window instead.
2. Protect the device
   • Run a full antimalware scan on Windows using trusted security software. If any Office files or downloads were involved, follow the guidance to run a full antimalware scan as described in the fake-order/malware guidance.
3. Treat it as a tech support / fake security scam
   • Real Microsoft error or warning messages never include phone numbers or demand immediate payment to “fix” a problem.
   • Legitimate companies will not use alarming pop‑ups or game banner ads to tell that “payment has failed” or that the device is in danger.
4. Report the scam to Microsoft
   • Use the official Microsoft scam reporting page: https://microsoft.com/reportascam
   • Choose the option that best matches the situation (online scam / tech support scam) and include that the ad appeared inside Microsoft Solitaire, plus attach the screenshot.
5. Warn others
   • Let friends or family who also play Solitaire know not to click similar “McAfee” or “payment failed” ads.

If any payment or personal information was entered after clicking such an ad, contact the bank or card issuer immediately and monitor accounts for fraudulent charges.

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References:

• Protect yourself from tech support scams
• Protect yourself from online scams and attacks
• How to spot a "fake order" scam
• Tech support scams
• I think I'm being scammed, but I want to make sure. (Though I may be in the wrong place.) - Microsoft Q&A
• How can I remove McAfee Norton Pop Ups on Windows 11? It is not showing up on Apps or Task Manager. - Microsoft Q&A