My personal computer is locked up with message stating that my IP address was used by fraudulent network.

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My personal computer is locked up with message stating that my IP address was used by fraudulent network.

Soynia Findlay 20

I returned to my computer to continue where I left off, but it sent an alarm and several pop-ups saying that the computer was locked up due to y IP address being used by a fraud network. It also advised me to call a number and not to close down or attempt to restart computer.

I am not sure if the number is legit so I didn't call. I however closed the lid of my computer to stop the repetitive message.

Please advise what I should do. This has never happened before.

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Answer 1

I am glad you didn't call.

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/windows/protect-yourself-from-tech-support-scams-2ebf91bd-f94c-2a8a-e541-f5c800d18435