What is Alert! Windows-11 Can Not Update scam

“Alert! Windows-11 Can Not Update” is a tech-support scam that falsely warns about a computer being blocked. If you get this pop-up on your screen, do not call the shown phone number because you will be scammed. Instead, close the pop-up without engaging with it. These pop-ups can be triggered either by questionable websites you visit or by an adware infection on your computer. In either scenario, the pop-up is harmless as long as you do not call the number or otherwise engage with it.

 

 

“Alert! Windows-11 Can Not Update” is the message displayed on a new tech-support scam. These kinds of scams are very common, and despite having somewhat different messages, they all follow more or less the same pattern. The reason these kinds of pop-ups/alerts are called tech-support scams is that they try to trick users into calling numbers that would connect them to scammers pretending to be legitimate tech support. In this case, scammers would pretend to be Microsoft technicians.

Users do not stumble upon these scams by themselves, they are redirected to them. In most cases, it’s either because users visit questionable websites or because they have adware installed on their computers. Whatever the case may be, users get redirected to sites that imitate legitimate Microsoft, Apple, etc., websites. The site displaying the “Alert! Windows-11 Can Not Update” scam is made to look like a Microsoft site. Once users are on the site, they will be spammed with numerous pop-ups. All of them will warn that the computer has been blocked for “security reasons”. The alert isn’t particularly clear what the issue is. One alert says that the computer has been blocked because a Windows 11 update cannot be installed. Another claims that the computer is infected with some kind of malware that is stealing email credentials, banking information, social media logins, and files. All pop-ups claim that it’s necessary to call the shown phone number in order to unlock the device.

If you were to call the displayed number, you would be connected to professional scammers pretending to be legitimate technicians. +1 (888) 298 0208 is one of the numbers we have encountered for this scam. Scammers would first ask what the issue is and once you explain, they would request remote access to your device so they can remotely fix it. In most cases, the scammers try to make users anxious by claiming that the issue is very serious and needs immediate attention. If you give them remote access to your device, they will pretend to fix it while potentially stealing your files and installing questionable programs on your computer. In some cases, scammers also set a password for the computer. By the end of the “repair” session, the fake technicians will demand that you pay hundreds of dollars for the services you supposedly received. The scammers can also get quite aggressive when users refuse to pay. And if they were able to lock the computer with a password, they would refuse to give it to you if you don’t pay. You can find many videos on YouTube demonstrating how exactly these scams work.

Pop-ups warning about issues on your computer that appear in your browser will always be scams. Their contents will not be legitimate, and all warnings about malware on your computer will be false. Only trust your anti-virus program to detect malware on your device. It should also be mentioned that Microsoft does not block computers when they become infected with malware. Furthermore, it does not make unsolicited contact with users, nor does it ask users to call questionable phone numbers. If you needed to contact Microsoft’s tech support, you would need to find the phone number on the official websites.

Tech-support scams can be triggered by an adware infection

The most likely reason for tech-support scam alerts appearing on your screen is you visiting high-risk websites. A lot of sites are considered to be high-risk due to the ads they host and pop-ups/redirects they trigger. For example, sites with pornographic or pirated content often trigger redirects and intrusive pop-ups. It’s usually not a good idea to visit such sites without an adblocker and an anti-virus program.

In rarer cases, redirects to tech-support scams can be triggered by an adware infection. Adware is a relatively harmless infection that is often installed via the software bundling method. The way this method works is infections like adware, browser hijackers, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) can be attached to free software as extra offers. These offers, while optional, are permitted to install alongside automatically without requiring additional permission. In most cases, users aren’t even aware of these installations, which is why they’re usually taken by surprise. But preventing these unwanted installations is very easy as long as you know what to do.

Because the added offers are optional, you simply need to deselect them to prevent their installation. To be able to do that, you need to install programs using Advanced (Custom) settings. The installation window will recommend using Default settings but those settings will hide all offers and allow their installation. If you opt for Advanced settings, all offers will be made visible. In addition to being able to see what has been added, you will also have the option to deselect all offers. It’s usually recommended to deselect all offers because even if they seem useful at first sight, they will only take up space on your computer. These infections, while easy to prevent initially, can be quite persistent and difficult to remove once installed. Unless you want to fill your computer with junk programs, you should always deselect the offers.

Alert! Windows-11 Can Not Update tech-support scam removal

If you did not engage with the pop-up, you can simply close it. To prevent future redirects, install an adblocker program and make sure it’s enabled when you’re visiting high-risk websites. It’s also a good idea to scan the computer with anti-virus software like WiperSoft in case an adware infection is causing the issues. And if you were a victim of this scam, you should contact your bank to check whether it’s possible to recover the money you were scammed out of.