christopherchapman.org

About

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Flirt To Convert
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2025, 2026, and Beyond
youtube.com/@christopherjohnchapman

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What Is A Recovery Scam?
Recovery Scams Are... On Point?

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Microsoft Windows Defender Infected Files Tech Support Scam

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Website Dedication

This web page will go over a technical support scam that recently appeared on a friend's computer.
My goal is to spread awareness of scams, not to promote a given scam, so I will present the takeaways below BEFORE I introduce the scam.

Important Takeaways

The important takeaways for anyone reading this web page are:

Technical scams often employ a technical exploit combined with social engineering.
If your device has fallen victim to the technical exploit, do not fall victim to the social engineering aspect!
Do NOT call the phone number listed on the scam pop-up.
If you were to call the number, what would you tell them?
Would you tell them they are scammers?
The scammers already know that!!
Do NOT press any of the buttons that the scammer wants you to press.
Unplugging your computer or otherwise restarting your device may or may not be the only way to get past the scam pop-up screen.

Nothing good can come from cooperating with the scammer.

The Scam

This particular scam's pop-up window has the text below:
Microsoft Defender found some infected files but not able to remove it because of
the group policies permissions. Please Scan now to remove it manually.

Elva dressed as a fairy

Microsoft Windows Defender Tech Support Infected Files Scam

My Expectations

The following bullet points are NOT what I desire, but they ARE what I expect:

The general public will be disappointed that I did not do a deeper dive.
Aspiring scammers will be disappointed that I did not provide them with detailed instructions regarding how to recreate the scam.