How to delete “Pornographic Spyware Alert Error Code” scam

“Pornographic Spyware Alert Error Code” scam refers to a very typical tech-support scam that tries to trick you into calling fake technical support. The fake alert claims that your computer has been blocked for security reasons and that you need to call the displayed phone number to contact Windows Support. However, if you were to call, you would be connected to professional scammers who would try to get you to give them remote access to your computer. They would then demand that you pay hundreds of dollars for their services.

 

 

“Pornographic Spyware Alert Error Code” scam is a very typical tech-support scam. It follows the generic tech-support scam pattern and barely differs from all the other scams you may encounter. You are first redirected to a fake Microsoft site. A pop-up then appears informing you that your computer has been blocked. Supposedly, it happened because your computer is infected with spyware that is stealing your personal information. According to the fake alert, you need to call the displayed number to get the spyware removal instructions from Microsoft technical support.

The phone number for the fake tech support that’s shown in this particular scam is +1(833)897 0470. If you were to call the number, you would be connected to professional scammers pretending to be Windows tech-support. They would first ask about the issue and then promise to fix it if you give them remote access to your computer. If you agree, they will connect to your computer and pretend to fix it. In the meantime, they may steal some of your files, set a password you do not know for your computer, etc. After they’re done “fixing” your computer, they will demand that you pay for their services. They usually demand at least a couple of hundred dollars. If they locked your computer and set a password, they would not unlock it unless you pay them.

For future reference, know that your browser will never show legitimate virus alerts in your browser because it’s not capable of detecting them. The only legitimate virus alerts will appear in the anti-virus program you have installed on your computer. Furthermore, the fake pop-up claims that Microsoft blocked the computer because of a virus. However, Microsoft does not do that. The company does not care that your computer is infected with a virus, nor does it keep track of infected computers. And no legitimate virus pop-up will ever ask you to call tech support. So whenever you encounter a pop-up in your browser that claims you need to call a certain number to get support, know that it’s a scam.

There are similar pop-ups that claim you need to download a certain program to fix a supposed issue on your computer. They are also scams. Those pop-ups would look very similar to this one, they just would not contain a phone number but rather a link to a download. Keep in mind that you should never download anything from pop-ups. If there is a program you want, use its official website to download it.

To determine why you’re being shown these fake tech-support scams, we suggest scanning your computer with anti-virus software like WiperSoft. If there is adware, only getting rid of it would remove “Pornographic Spyware Alert Error Code” scam alerts permanently. If it’s not adware, install an adblocker program to block the ads, pop-ups, and redirects.

Tech-support scam alerts can be shown by adware

In most cases, tech-support scams are shown by questionable sites users visit. Certain sites are considered to be high-risk due to the ads they show and the redirects they trigger. For example, most sites with pornography or pirated content would be considered high-risk due to their ads. Visting such sites without an adblocker program is not a good idea.

If the tech-support scam pop-ups are more persistent and appear even when visiting safe sites, your computer may have an adware program installed. Adware is a pretty minor infection that mainly focuses on exposing you to advertisement content. It shouldn’t cause direct damage to your computer. Infections like that are usually installed via free software bundling. The way the method works is adware, browser hijackers, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) come attached to free software as extra offers. These extra offers are permitted to install alongside the software automatically. The offers are technically optional but they are preselected to install alongside automatically. To prevent their installation, you would need to manually deselect the offers. You can easily do that if you know how to correctly install free software.

To correctly install free programs, you need to pay attention during the process. Most importantly, you need to choose Advanced (Custom) settings instead of Default. You may notice that the installation window recommends using Default but those settings will hide the offers and allow their installation without your permission. However, if you opt for Advanced settings, the offers will be made visible. You will also be given the option to deselect all of them. And we suggest deselecting all offers, no matter how useful they may appear at first sight. Software bundling is quite a frowned upon installation method and programs that use it should not be permitted to install alongside. Otherwise, you will fill your computer with junk programs that can be difficult to get rid of once they’re installed.

“Pornographic Spyware Alert Error Code” scam removal

When you encounter any kind of alert with a phone number, simply close the window. They are harmless as long as you don’t interact with them. If the alert was triggered by the site you were visiting, avoid it and similar sites. You can also install an adblocker program to block pop-ups and redirects.

We also recommend scanning your computer with anti-virus software like WiperSoft. As we said already, it’s possible that the tech-support scam pop-ups are triggered by an adware infection on your computer. If that is the case, the only way to permanently delete “Pornographic Spyware Alert Error Code” scam pop-ups is to get rid of the adware. And doing that is easiest using anti-virus software.