The Infection Pop-Up
A screaming full-screen warning with a phone number. Real security software never displays phone numbers. It is an ad in a costume.
Free Tool · Tech Support Scam Checker
That pop-up. That phone call. Scam or real?
Fake infection warnings, calls from Microsoft, renewal invoices from Geek Squad: tech support scams take real money from smart people every single day. Two quick questions tell you what you are dealing with and exactly what to do next, even if things already went further than you would like.
⏱ Instant Answer
🤝 Zero Judgment
🔒 Private & Free
★ By Orca IT
Built for you and the people you worry about · share it with parents, grandparents and anyone with a computer
Know the Plays
The scripts scammers run, exposed
Every one of these is a rehearsed production. Once you know the script, the spell breaks.
The Microsoft Call
Microsoft, Apple and your internet provider do not call you about infections. Unsolicited tech support calls are scams, all of them.
The Fake Renewal
A Geek Squad or Norton charge you never made, with a number to call for a refund. The charge is fiction, the refund is the trap.
The Remote Takeover
They talk you into installing AnyDesk or TeamViewer, legitimate tools, hijacked, and suddenly a stranger drives your computer.
The Refund Reversal
The finale: a fake overpaid refund, your bank screen manipulated, and you pressured to send the difference back in gift cards or wires.
The Second Act
Days later, a call offering to recover your loss, for a fee. Same crew, new script. Victims get called again and again.
The Golden Rules
Six rules that beat every version
Scripts change constantly. These rules do not, and they defeat all of them. Share them with the people you worry about.
Real companies do not cold-call
No legitimate company monitors your computer and calls about infections. That premise alone ends the conversation.
Pop-ups with phone numbers are ads
An infection warning with a number to call is a scam by definition. Close the browser and move on.
Gift cards are never payment
No real business, government agency or refund process accepts gift cards. The request is the confession.
Never let a caller connect
Remote access is for technicians you called, at a company you chose. Unsolicited callers get nothing.
Banks are dialed from the card
Anything involving money gets verified by calling the number on the back of your card, never a number the caller provides.
Hang up. Rudeness is safety
Scammers weaponize politeness, especially against older adults. Permission granted: hang up mid-sentence.
How It Works
If it already happened
01
Money First
Paid or shared bank details? Call the bank from the number on your card, immediately.
02
Cut the Cord
Disconnect the computer from the internet and change key passwords from a different device.
03
We Clean
We remove remote access tools and leftovers, and verify the machine is truly clean.
04
We Harden
Protection, safer settings and a quick lesson, so the next attempt bounces off.
They fool smart people every day. Checking first beats them.
Two questions, an instant verdict, and calm, exact steps, no matter how far it went.
Why Orca
Why people call Orca after (and before) the scam
Scam rescue and prevention are everyday work here, handled with zero judgment and a lot of patience.
No shame, ever
These are professional operations with rehearsed scripts. Our job is fixing it, not making anyone feel foolish.
Real cleanup, verified
We remove remote tools and anything left behind, and confirm the machine is clean, not just probably fine.
Money guidance included
We walk you through the bank calls and the reportfraud.ftc.gov report, in the right order.
Prevention that sticks
Protection, browser hardening and simple habits that make the next pop-up a non-event.
Gentle with seniors
Patient, plain-language help, plus setups that protect parents and grandparents by default.
20+ years of experience
Two decades of cleaning up after these crews and keeping them out.
Questions
Tech support scams, answered
A pop-up says I'm infected and to call a number. Is my computer actually infected?
Almost certainly not. Those pop-ups are malicious ads designed to look like alarms, and the number connects to scammers. Close the browser (force-quit if needed). If you want certainty, we can run a quick health check.
I called the number but didn't do anything else. Am I okay?
Very likely yes. Talking alone rarely causes harm, but expect callbacks and follow-up attempts now that they have your number. Do not answer, do not act on anything they said, and be wary of a fake refund department call.
I let them connect to my computer. How bad is it?
Treat it seriously: disconnect from the internet, change your email password from a different device, remove the remote software they installed, and have the machine professionally checked. Scammers often leave tools behind. We handle exactly this.
I paid them. Can I get the money back?
Sometimes, and speed matters enormously. Call your bank or card company right now from the number on your card and dispute it. Gift cards: call the card issuer immediately with the numbers. Then report at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Card payments recover most often; wires and gift cards are harder, which is why minutes count.
They're calling me back offering a refund. Real?
No. The refund callback is the same scammers running the second act, and it usually ends with them taking more. Hang up, block the number, and if a refund conversation ever involves gift cards or your bank screen, it is the scam continuing.
How do I protect my parents from this?
Three things work: this page's golden rules taped near their computer, honest protection and browser settings that block the pop-ups, and an agreement that they call you or us before calling any number a computer shows them. We set up senior-proofed computers routinely.
Are Microsoft, Norton or Geek Squad involved in these calls?
No. Scammers impersonate trusted brands precisely because the names lower defenses. The real companies neither cold-call about infections nor bill you out of the blue with phone numbers to dispute charges.
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Tell us what happened, with zero judgment waiting on this end, and we will verify the computer is clean and your accounts are secure. Or just call.
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