Windows 10 users who run ads that display ads may be the target of misleading reports that the system has been infected or that they have won an iPhone.
Several basic Windows applications, e.g. The Microsoft News application in the operating system displays ads and it seems that many of these applications that run ads cause the above problem to users.
The ad is sent from an ad server, and is displayed to the application user. The ad opens a web page in the default browser and displays some of the above, e.g. the computer is infected, or you won an iPhone.
The website that tries to intimidate the user reports, for example, that viruses were found on the computer on a website that resembles the official Microsoft website.
Experienced users may notice that this is a scam and usually close the window, but inexperienced users can follow the tips and thus infect their systems or give out personal information or make a purchase.
A German company support page (Microsoft Answers) reports the problem already. Microsoft MVP volunteer coordinator Ingo Böttcher confirms that Windows Apps can open fake web pages with this type of messaging.
If you come across a malicious ad, it is recommended that you close the tabs or webpages that will open immediately. This will not damage your computer or personal files. The messages are fake and your computer was not infected with a virus or a trojan as claimed by the fake website.
It should be noted that Microsoft is not the only company that displays such malicious ads. Google Search has shown similar messages in the past, but other major advertising companies have had similar incidents in the past.
The incident shows once again that advertising in its current form poses risks to the Internet. The only option users have is to protect their systems by using ad blockers.
Advertising companies such as Microsoft, Google or Facebook should frequently check the ad servers of the partner companies.
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