Is the Microsoft “your computer is infected” alert a scam?
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01 · Checked with Hunch’s on-device engine, the same one inside the extension. How Hunch checks →
Part of our guide: How to recognize a bank-impersonation scam →
Yes, a pop-up, text, or email that says your computer is infected and tells you to call a number or “verify your account” is a tech-support scam. Microsoft and Apple don’t monitor your device this way or cold-call you about viruses. The goal is remote access to your PC or your login.
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Less technical and older computer users are most exposed, because a scary “your device is infected” alert feels both credible and impossible to judge on their own. The playbook manufactures panic, then hands over a rescuer, a phone number, a “Microsoft” caller, who talks the victim into remote access or payment to fix a problem that was never there.
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Real security software never gives you a phone number to call to “fix” a virus.
- Never grant remote access (AnyDesk/TeamViewer) to someone who contacted you.
- Close the pop-up; don’t call the number or click the link.
- The domain ms-support.example is not microsoft.com.
Common questions
is the Microsoft virus warning real
No. Microsoft doesn’t scan your device and pop up a warning with a phone number to call. That alert is a tech-support scam designed to get you on the phone.
got a call from Microsoft about a virus, is it a scam
Yes. Microsoft and Apple don’t cold-call people about viruses. Anyone who calls claiming to be them and asks for access or payment is a scammer.
computer infected pop-up asking to call a number
Close it, don’t call. Legitimate security software fixes issues inside the app and never gives you a support number to phone for a “virus.”
is ms-support.example a real Microsoft domain
No. Microsoft uses microsoft.com. A ms-support.example address is a look-alike, not a Microsoft site.
If you already responded
- If you gave remote access, disconnect from the internet and run a full scan or have the device checked.
- If you paid or shared card details, call your bank’s real number from your card and dispute the charge.
- Change passwords you entered while they had access, and report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Source: FTC, How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams
Hunch is not affiliated with Microsoft. Microsoft is named only to describe a scam that impersonates it; the real Microsoft does not send these messages.