Trojan FakeAlert: What You Need to Do

A Trojan FakeAlert is a type of virus that I had to battle recently. I was fortunate that I caught it immediately and was able to get it out of my system before it had time to cause damage, but this is a sneaky virus that you really have to be looking for to notice. The most common way to get this virus is to simply visit a website that is infected. That's it. Just click on the wrong page and you will be infected. It is a classic case of wrong place, wrong time and this is how I became infected. While I will not name the website that infected me because they surely did not intentionally set out to give me this virus, I will tell you that it is one of the most popular news sites on the web. Someone likely hacked them, or something equally malicious, and this is why that particular site gave me this virus because it is a trusted site, but I tell you this because you need to be aware that this virus can infect your system at any time. Clicking on a link in an infected email is another way to get this virus.

What is a Trojan FakeAlert?

Some say that this Trojan is not as scary as others of the past, but it is still a Trojan and can still do significant damage. This particular Trojan was designed to trick you into buying anti-spyware programs that you truly do not need. It is called a Fake Alert, because it creates fake alerts in the form of fake infections, scaring you into thinking that your system is infected with all sorts of malware, when in reality your only issue is this Trojan FakeAlert.

How Do You Know if You Have a Trojan FakeAlert?

I had a weird installer pop-up that I knew was not normal for my system. I am always getting that Java Update reminder, but that is it. This was exactly the same, but definitely not Java. I did not click on it. I immediately ran my malware scanner and discovered I had a Trojan virus. There are other symptoms as well, such as browser redirects, pop-up alert messages, new icons popping up on your desktop, new windows popping up in the background telling you that you have spyware and advertisements. I did not have any of these symptoms, just the Java-like reminder.

How Do I Get Rid of a Trojan FakeAlert?

Unfortunately, my malware software was unable to get rid of this virus. I use Malwarebytes and while it is a great program for everything else I have used it for and for my weekly scans, it will not get this virus out of your system. I had to do a system restore. I have Windows 7, so I will provide the instructions for system restore for a Windows 7 system. While all systems differ, the process is similar and will have the same end result. Head to your start menu and bring up all programs. Click on accessories and go to system tools. Next, click on system restore. Once you are there, choose a restore point. I chose one that was a few days before I was infected to be absolutely safe. With Windows 7, system restore only takes a few minutes and you will be up and running, virus-free, after your computer reboots.

Resources

Malwarebytes