If a pop-up on your parent’s computer says it’s infected, flashes red, maybe plays a loud alarm, and tells them to call “Microsoft” or “Apple” at a phone number, it’s a scam. Real companies don’t put phone numbers in virus warnings. The fix is almost always simple: don’t call, close the browser (force-quit it if needed), and restart. The harm starts only when someone calls the number and lets a stranger onto the computer.

Holiday visits are a good time to talk about it, because you’re sitting at the same kitchen table as the computer. Here’s what to look for, what to do in the moment, and a short checklist you can run through together.

How common are tech-support scams?

Very common, and they hit older adults hardest. In the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, tech-support fraud drew 47,794 complaints and $2,134,675,818 in reported losses, the third-costliest type of cyber-enabled fraud (FBI IC3, 2025 report). Among people 60 and over, “Tech/Customer Support” was the second most-reported crime type (21,333 complaints) and the second costliest ($1,040,730,043 in losses) in the same report.

Overall, people 60+ filed 201,266 complaints in 2025, up 37% from 2024, with $7.748 billion in reported losses, up 59% (same report, Elder Fraud section). The FTC’s 2025 data points in the same direction: imposter scams were the most-reported fraud category, with $3.5 billion lost, and the FTC notes that “some of the costliest impersonation scams start with a fake security alert” (FTC, June 2026).

Those are only the cases people reported. Plenty of families just quietly pay.

What does a fake virus pop-up look like?

Usually it’s a web page made to look like a system warning. Common signs:

• A phone number on the screen. This is the biggest giveaway. Microsoft and Apple don’t ask you to call them from a pop-up.
• Urgency and fear. “Your computer is locked.” “Do not shut down.” “Your bank information is at risk.” Sometimes there’s a countdown or a recorded voice.
• It fills the screen and seems stuck. Scam pages often go full-screen and keep popping back up so it feels like the computer is frozen.
• Familiar logos and colors. A Microsoft or Apple logo, a fake “Windows Defender” window, or a blue screen that’s really just a picture in the browser.
• It showed up while browsing. Often right after clicking an ad, a search result, or a mistyped web address, not out of nowhere while the computer was idle.

A second version skips the pop-up entirely: someone calls claiming to be from Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, the bank, or “the internet company,” saying they’ve detected a problem. Same scam, same answer: hang up.

What should my parent do if one appears?

Put this on a sticky note by the computer:

1. Don’t call the number. Don’t click anything inside the pop-up, not even “Close” or “Cancel.”
2. Close the browser. On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, pick the browser, and choose End task. On a Mac, press Command + Option + Esc and Force Quit the browser.
3. Restart the computer if closing doesn’t work. Holding the power button for several seconds is fine here.
4. When the browser reopens, don’t restore the old tabs. That just brings the scam page back.
5. Call you (or another trusted person) using a number they already know.

That’s it. In most cases nothing was installed and the computer is fine.

What if they already called or let someone in?

This is where the real damage happens. Scammers usually talk the person into installing a remote-access program, then “find” problems, ask for payment by gift card, wire, or crypto, or try to get into bank accounts. If that happened, don’t let embarrassment slow things down:

1. Disconnect the computer from the internet (turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the cable) and hang up.
2. Call the bank and card companies using the number on the back of the card. Ask about stopping payments and watching for fraud.
3. Uninstall any remote-access program the caller had them install. If you’re not sure what was installed, ask someone you trust to look.
4. Change passwords from a different, clean device, starting with email and banking. Turn on two-step sign-in where you can.
5. Run a full scan with the security software on the computer.
6. Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Reports are how the numbers above get counted and how call centers get shut down.

Our step-by-step guide, What to do in case of a cyberattack, goes into more detail.

Can security software stop tech-support scams?

Partly, and it’s worth being honest about where the line is.

The scam itself is a con, not a virus. No software can stop someone from picking up the phone and believing a stranger. And the remote-access tools scammers use are often ordinary, legitimate programs, so security software may not flag them on their own.

Where good endpoint protection does help is with what often comes along with these scams: malicious downloads, password-stealing malware, and files a “technician” drops on the machine. EDR For Home puts the SentinelOne agent, the same kind of endpoint protection businesses use, on home PCs and Macs. It’s set to Protect, so when it spots malicious behavior it acts on the device automatically, killing and quarantining the threat without waiting for someone to click “allow.” You choose which alerts you get, so an adult child can know when something was caught on a parent’s computer, even from across the country.

• Control (from $6.97/mo for one device) is the protection-and-cleanup plan: AI next-gen antivirus, firewall, USB/Bluetooth control, 1-click cleanup, and file rollback after ransomware (rollback is Windows-only).
• Complete adds investigation tools in your own console, like Storyline EDR, 14-day history and hunting, for the person who wants to dig into what happened.

Family plans cover several devices. See plans on our membership page.

To be clear about what this isn’t: it’s software only. No one is watching the computer for you, and there’s no 24/7 monitoring or help desk to call during a scam. Our What we do (and don’t) page spells that out. The sticky note above still matters most.

Holiday checklist: setting up a parent’s computer

Run through this together during a visit. Most of it takes a few minutes.

• ☐ Talk about the rule: “No real company puts a phone number in a virus warning.” Show them a picture of a fake pop-up so it’s familiar.
• ☐ Write the sticky note (don’t call, force-quit, restart, call me) and stick it near the screen.
• ☐ Practice force-quitting the browser once so the keys aren’t new in a panic.
• ☐ Update everything: the operating system, the browser, and apps. Windows 10 stopped getting security updates on October 14, 2025 (Microsoft), so a Windows 10 PC is worth upgrading or replacing.
• ☐ Bookmark the sites they use most (bank, email, pharmacy) so they don’t search for them and click an ad. Fake ads are a common doorway, as we covered in Why you should scroll past the first result on Google.
• ☐ Turn on two-step sign-in for email and banking.
• ☐ Check for remote-access programs they don’t recognize and remove them.
• ☐ Install security software set to act automatically. If you use EDR For Home, follow Install on Windows or Install on Mac, and use Console basics to set up alerts that come to you.
• ☐ Agree on a family code word for any “emergency” call or text asking for money.
• ☐ Save the numbers that matter: the bank’s fraud line and yours, written down, not just in the phone.

FAQ

Does Microsoft or Apple ever call you about a virus?
No. Neither company makes unsolicited calls or shows pop-ups with phone numbers to fix your computer. Treat any such call or message as a scam.

Is the computer infected if the pop-up appeared?
Usually not. Most of these are just web pages. Force-quit the browser, restart, and don’t restore the tabs. Run a scan if you want to be sure.

My parent paid with gift cards. Can the money be recovered?
Sometimes, if you act fast. Contact the gift card company right away using the number on the card or its website, tell them it was a scam, and keep the cards and receipts. Then report it to the FTC and IC3.

Does EDR For Home work on Macs?
Yes. The SentinelOne agent runs on Windows and Mac (and Linux). Rollback is Windows-only. See the Mac install guide.

Will someone from EDR For Home answer if my parent calls during a scam?
No. Our plans are software only, and support is by email at support@edrforhome.com. That’s another good reason for the sticky note: their first call should be to you.

Have a question about protecting a family computer? Email support@edrforhome.com.