If the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) wasn’t bad enough, cyber criminals are now using it to hijack Windows 10 machines.
Microsoft has warned users of Windows 10 about a new scam that tricks them into clicking onto fake security alerts in order to infect their PC or laptop with malware.
The company made the warning earlier this week when it explained that hackers are using what look like legitimate security prompts to disguise malware.
Once the unsuspecting user clicks on the prompt the malware is installed onto their device where it then mimics the Blue Screen of Death.
The malware, dubbed Hicurdismos, then tells users they need to restart their machine.
The fake BSoD then includes a phone number that users can call in order to receive technical support over the phone.
However, calling the number connects them to a fake technical support line setup by the hackers which encourages the user to download even more malware infected files.
Microsoft is now urging all Windows 10 users to be on the lookout for the scam and has confirmed that genuine Windows error messages never include a phone number but instead provide an error code.
“The threat of technical support scams has been around for years, but it’s recently been observed to be growing, the company said in a blog from its Malware Protection Centre.
“We’ve seen attackers becoming more sophisticated with their social engineering tactics to try to mislead users into calling for technical support and then they are asked for payment to “fix the problem” on the PC that does not exist.”
“Real error messages from Microsoft do not include support contact details”, the company confirmed.
Microsoft also advised users to make sure they keep all their devices and software up to date.
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