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Bugs Killed

Windows

Scam browser pop-ups claiming the computer is infected

Firefox was showing adware-style pop-ups that said the computer was infected and pushed a phone number to call. The technician blocked the sites sending the notifications, and the pop-ups stopped.

Killed once by someone from XL.net, on 2026-04-29.

Affects

Apps

  • Mozilla Firefox

What you see

  • A browser pop-up says the computer is infected and tells the user to call a phone number.
  • Firefox is the browser opening the scam notification.

Why it happens

Suspected Suspected adware or abusive browser notification permissions were generating the pop-ups.

When it shows up

A Windows computer shows scam-style infection pop-ups in Firefox that tell the user to call a number.

You are in this case if:

  • Firefox opens or displays a notification claiming the computer is infected.
  • The message is a browser pop-up rather than a normal security alert.

1 fix below

The steps that killed it

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Someone from XL.net killed this on a Windows computer on 2026-04-29. It is written up from that one repair, so it cites no outside page.