Tech-support scam
A fake warning that your device is infected, charging you to 'fix' a problem that isn't there.
A tech-support scam convinces you that your computer or account is compromised, then charges you to 'fix' a problem that was never there. It arrives as an alarming pop-up warning of a virus, an unexpected call from someone claiming to be Microsoft or Apple, or an email about a subscription you must cancel by phone. The goal is to get you to install remote-access software, hand over card details for bogus 'support', or log in to your bank while the 'technician' watches.
Once they control your screen, they may fake evidence of fraud to frighten you into moving money to a 'safe' account. Genuine technology firms do not cold-call about infections they have somehow spotted on your machine, and a real security warning never carries a phone number to ring. If a pop-up locks your browser, close it or restart rather than calling; if someone rings unprompted, hang up. Never grant remote access or share codes with an unsolicited caller. The manipulation is textbook social engineering — fear first, then a rescue that quietly costs you.