A wave of websites is offering to check whether your antivirus is working. They call themselves SysScan, carry Microsoft branding, and all reach the same conclusion: Your computer has serious problems, and the cause is the antivirus software you installed.
Windows, they claim, no longer supports third-party antivirus. Uninstall it immediately.
That is false, and it is the first step in a refund scam designed to get victims onto the phone, remove their security software, and ultimately hand over personal, banking, and remote-access information.
We found eleven of these sites on a single host. Although the names vary, the sites work in essentially the same way: Run a convincing-looking but fake security scan, tell the victim their antivirus is causing problems, collect their information, and prepare them for a supposed refund call.
What to know if you see one of these scans
