A new Chrome scam will lock down your browser – but there’s a fix
Tricksters have devised a fairly simple way to render Chrome unresponsive, but you can make sure you're one step ahead with this solution
BROWSER makers like Microsoft and Google are constantly ramping up their security to prevent against phishing and malware, but the odd scam can slip through the cracks.
And so it goes for the latest technique being used by tricksters to swindle all the decent web-surfing folk out there.
This particular scam affects Google Chrome on Windows, causing it to lock up or freeze.
Users are then confronted by a pop-up instructing them to phone a US toll-free phone number for assistance. But don't take the bait – because you may end up giving hackers your personal info by mistake.
Fortunately there's a solution, because the scam itself is quite simple.
On the victim's end, it sets off thousands of downloads in succession, causing the browser to become unresponsive in mere seconds.
The fix, detailed by , lies in Windows Task Manager, which allows you to circumvent the attack by manually killing Chrome.
Simply press CTRL-ALT-DELETE on your keyboard, select Google Chrome, and then click 'End Task'.
Then again, if you have an ad blocker installed you may be able to evade it altogether, as most browser-locker tricks rely on malicious ads to spread malware – it's known as 'malvertising.'
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The scam is relatively harmless unless you fall for the bait. Regardless, unknowing users may be frightened into dialling the scam number onscreen.
Google has spent the past year releasing security-oriented updates for its popular Chrome browser, including a patch that resolved a phishing flaw and warnings alerting you to non-secure HTTP sites.
And you can bet it will stamp out this latest hiccup too as part of its endless cat-and-mouse duel with hackers.