Scareware is a type of scam that sees pop-ups appear on your phone, tablet or computer screen, which say that your device has been infected with viruses or malware.
These messages are designed to cause panic and trick you into clicking on a link to a malicious website or downloading rogue software onto your device. To avoid getting caught out, see the steps you should take if you experience this.
Source: Which? (04 Mar 2026)