(also fraudware)
Scareware is a type of cyberattack that involves hackers scaring people into downloading malware by clicking on malicious links or visiting infected websites. For example, many hackers use scareware to scam users into thinking that their devices are infected and make them buy scam software for protection. In most cases, hackers initiate their scareware attacks by displaying fear-inducing messages as pop-ups on the users’ screens, with text that tells them that they are under attack or have been infected with malware and need to act now. In reality, the scam software that users download from these pop-ups is malware that is programmed to steal the user’s personal data.
Hackers also distribute scareware via spam email and notifications, which appear on your screen from nowhere and in large quantities, offering you software and services from rogue security companies. So if you suddenly start receiving emails or see banners on your screen telling you that your device has malware on it and offering you software to remove it, then you are most likely the target of a scareware attack.