Scams explained
What is the tech support pop-up scam?
A warning suddenly fills the computer screen, sometimes with a loud alarm, saying the computer has a virus or your bank account has been breached. It gives a phone number for Microsoft, Apple or your bank. The people who answer ask for remote access, then move on to your money, often by sending you to withdraw cash, buy gold, or use a Bitcoin ATM.
Drawn from 253 news stories in the Elderus archive. Last updated October 17, 2026.
If a message like this reached you, you were right to stop and look it up. These are professional operations, and they reach careful people every day.
What our news archive shows
253 news stories in the Elderus archive mention the tech support pop-up scam, the earliest from February 2024. Together they name 36 states. The places named most often: California (53), Florida (25), New York (20), Ohio (16) and Maryland (14).
What people were asked to hand over
Across the 14 stories with this scam in the headline:
Stories added each month in 2026
The busiest month so far this year was September 2026, with 13 stories.
What does the tech support pop-up scam look like?
- A full-screen message that seems impossible to close, often with a Microsoft or Apple logo.
- A phone number to call right away, sometimes with a recorded voice or alarm sound.
- A claim that your computer, your identity or your bank account has been compromised.
- It can appear on a smart TV as well as on a computer or tablet.
How does the tech support pop-up scam work?
- The warning is a web page or ad made to look like a system alert. The computer is usually fine.
- The first caller poses as tech support and asks to connect to the computer. A second caller may pose as your bank's fraud department or a federal agent.
- They say your money must be moved to keep it safe, and direct you to withdraw cash, buy gold, wire money, buy gift cards, or feed cash into a cryptocurrency ATM.
How it has shown up in the news
A pop-up told a Georgia couple their bank account had been breached; a caller posing as an FTC official then guided them to put cash into a cryptocurrency kiosk.
Read the story →In Kansas City, police described fake error screens that gave a phone number and then steered callers into paying for "repairs" in Bitcoin.
Read the story →The Better Business Bureau warned of the same pop-ups appearing on smart TVs, claiming a device problem and asking for payment or remote access.
Read the story →What should I do if I get one?
- Close the browser. If the window will not close, turn the computer off by holding the power button. The warning will not come back on its own after a restart.
- If you called and let someone connect, have the computer checked by a repair shop you choose and change passwords from another device.
- If you moved or sent money, call your bank using the number on the back of your card, then report it.
Call the bank or card company first, using the number on the back of your card. The sooner they hear, the more they can stop. Then report it. Step-by-step help if you were scammed →
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Who do I report it to?
Your state's Adult Protective Services and attorney general take reports too. Find the numbers for California, Florida, New York, Ohio, or any state.
Common questions
Does Microsoft or Apple put phone numbers in error messages?
Real security warnings from Microsoft or Apple do not ask you to call a phone number. A number on the screen is the clearest sign of this scam.
Is my computer infected after seeing the pop-up?
Usually not. The pop-up is a web page. The risk comes from calling the number and letting someone connect.
Sources
- Pop-up warning tricks elderly Georgia couple into sending crypto - WSB-TV wsbtv.com · August 2026
- KCPD warns of computer pop-up scam after Kansas City resident loses more than $1 million kmbc.com · December 2025
- Suspect arrested in $50,000 computer pop-up scam targeting senior yahoo.com · December 2025
- GEORGIA, — A simple pop-up or phone call allowed scammers to swindle elderly people across the U.S. out of $1.2 million, and now a Chinese national is behind bars and charged for his alleged role in t... 13wmaz.com · December 2025
- Better Business Bureau warns of pop-up scams targeting smart TVs wgal.com · December 2025
How we count
Elderus collects news reports about fraud against older adults every day. A story counts toward this page when its headline or summary describes the tech support pop-up scam. Copies of one story syndicated to several outlets count once, and stories that fail our quality checks (no usable summary, video transcripts, coverage outside the U.S.) are left out. States are the ones named in each story's headline and summary. Payment methods come from the stories with the scam in the headline. Monthly counts begin in January 2026 and use the date each story entered our archive. These figures describe news coverage. They do not measure how often the scam happens, since most scams are never reported in the news.