How to Remove Windows Defender Security Warning Scam

Have you ever had a Windows Defender security warning pop up randomly while browsing? This type of malicious activity wants you to get in touch with scammers. Fortunately, you can quickly get rid of it. Next, we will tell you how to remove the Windows Defender security warning scam and protect yourself from other viruses.

What is the Windows Defender security warning?

Windows Defender security warning is the result of scareware or phishing scam. Its task is to redirect you to a page that looks visually like the official Microsoft website. However, its URL does not correspond to the original. The page can display a message saying that your computer is infected with malware and that you need to contact a support agent by phone to fix the problem.

Unfortunately, the notification looks like a legitimate Windows message, and that’s why it’s so dangerous – many users may not even try to prove it in Google. A common tactic of scammers is to make the pop-up as convincing as possible so that people don’t suspect anything wrong. Either way, the phone number will likely direct you to a fraudulent call center. The agent will either try to get you to install malware to infect your computer, steal your personal information, or demand money for fake services.

Why is the Windows Defender security warning false?

At first glance, you might mistake this as a warning from Windows Defender. However, if you use Windows Defender, you know it differs from genuine notification. Therefore, please don’t call the phone number in the window because it is not a real alert. Why?

• It’s not the Windows Defender interface. Instead, Windows Defender, also known as Windows Security, is a built-in Windows application with a different interface. It will never show you a browser pop-up or page. It prefers system pop-ups instead.
• Strange text and typos. A banner or page that shows you a Microsoft Defender alert commonly contains strange text design and grammatical and stylistic errors. It sharply contrasts with short and informative Defender notifications.
• Microsoft never leaves contact numbers for users. Instead, users can contact Microsoft support using the “Get Help” application if they encounter problems.

This Windows Defender security alert is flawed in both format and content. It’s often a low-level phishing scam that aims to sell said rogue antivirus service, which, in turn, can harm your computer. Although in some cases, you will not be able to close the alert or switch to other applications.

Causes of the Windows Defender security warning

There are several reasons why you see a Windows Defender security warning. Here are the most obvious ones:

• You clicked on an ad that redirected you to a fake site.
• You visited a hacked website that redirected you to a fraudulent page.
• The presence of a malicious program installed on your device. Most often, this thing is an effect of adware activity.

There are also many other ways you could be exposed to fraud, depending on various things, such as the external devices you share with someone. Simply closing the window may not solve the problem, especially when adware is guilty of this. The pop-up message may appear every time you open your browser.

How to remove Windows Defender security warning

Since Windows Defender security warning appears in your browser, most of the actions you must take to get rid of it are related to your browser. These actions can solve the problem of Windows Defender security warning pop-ups.

• Forcibly close and reopen your browser.
• If the problem with redirecting to a fraudulent page persists, reset your browser (more instructions below) or reinstall the browser completely.
• If this is still happening, you may have adware or some PUP (potentially unwanted program) installed on your computer, and you need to remove it.

Suppose you do not know which of the installed applications is causing the pop-up notifications. Then, you can install antivirus software to detect the infection’s source and remove it from your computer.

How to clear the browser from the Windows Defender security warning

Resetting your browser settings is one of the first things you should do to eliminate the Windows Defender security warning scam. The following instructions tell you how to do this in different browsers:

Remove the Windows Defender pop-up from Chrome

1. Click on the three vertical … in the top right corner and Select Settings.

2. Select Reset and Clean up and Restore settings to their originals defaults.

3. Click Reset settings.

Remove the Windows Defender pop-up from Firefox

1. Click the three-line icon in the upper right corner and select Help

2. Select More Troubleshooting Information

3. Select Refresh Firefox… then Refresh Firefox

Remove the Windows Defender pop-up from Microsoft Edge

1. Press the three dots

2. Select Settings

3. Click Reset Settings, then Click Restore settings to their default vaues.

Remove the Windows Defender pop-up from Safari

1. Open the terminal (press ⌘ Command + Spacebar to open the spotlight, type “terminal” and press “Enter”)
Open the terminal in Safari

2. Enter these commands one at a time. Execute each command by pressing “Enter” after copying it into the terminal:


rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/Apple\ -\ Safari\ -\ Safari\ Extensions\ Gallery
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.LSSharedFileList.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebFoundation.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginHost.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/PubSub/Database;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Safari/*;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Safari/Bookmarks.plist;
rm -Rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.apple.Safari.savedState;


What to do if the problem persists?

If you have done all the above steps and still see this warning every time you use a web browser, it is a clear sign that malware is still on your computer. You can use professional antimalware software such as GridinSoft Anti-Malware to scan your computer and remove viruses and malware found. After taking such drastic measures, Anti-Malware will remove and disarm much more dangerous cyber threats that could cause severe damage to your files.

How to avoid scams like Windows Defender Security Warning

As mentioned earlier, the Windows Defender security warning scam is not the only threat you may encounter on your computer. There is much more severe malware on the Internet, and you, as a prudent user, should take every precaution to avoid them. Here are the basic ones:

• Ensure your OS and apps are up to date
• Only download apps from official websites
• Please don’t click on random links without knowing where they will take you
• Don’t download suspect apps
• Do not open attachments in suspicious emails or attachments
• Use an ad blocker to block malicious ads
• Use an advanced antivirus solution

Your computer should now be clean and free of Windows Defender scams. To prevent this from happening again, follow online hygiene to protect yourself from fraud. Perform frequent scans and use malware protection to stop it before it happens.