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Spam is unavoidable: It clutters your phone call history and chokes your email inbox. Like spam, scareware is another annoyance that seems to go hand-in-hand with internet access. Its why you should never click pop-ups that say your system is at risk.

Most cybersecurity experts say scareware has been around since 1990 when programmer Patrick Evans designed a program called NightMare to attack computers. A creepy image of a bloody skull took over victims screens and an echoing shriek assaulted the ears.

The aptly-named NightMare set a disturbing precedent. Cybercriminals have since used scareware to wrestle millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims. In this article, youll learn how to prevent falling victim to scareware.

Picture this: Youre surfing the web, minding your own business. Then a random pop-up says your computer has a virus. It looks legitimate, with a technical design similar to that of Apple or another trustworthy brand.

Since it looks like it came from a reliable source, you fall for the pop-ups claims. You immediately feel stressed out. After all, your whole system could be in danger.

Privacy, security, the latest trends and the info you need to live your best digital life.

Most scareware pop-ups urge you to click it or else.

For example, theyll say to click here to remove the viruses. Since you dont want your device infected with malware, you might do what the pop-up asks. Unfortunately, clicking on the link will download viruses onto your device.

Thats right: You didnt have any viruses on your phone or computer. The pop-up was lying. Cybercriminals manipulated your emotions so they could scare you into action.

Famous scareware attacks came in many different forms. You can encounter these nasty scams on your phone, tablet or computer. This is why you need antivirus protection on all your devices. Heres how to set up cybersecurity programs on your iPhone or Android.

Here are some scareware attack examples you may have heard of:

As you can tell, scareware social engineering schemes are incredibly dangerous. They can steal a ton of money. Now that you know some scareware history, lets move on to the more critical part. How to prevent it.

Not sure how to spot a scareware scam? First, ask yourself if the pop-up is hard to close. Scammers make it difficult for you to shut down the box, so even if you hit X or close, it might not disappear immediately.

You might also see icons you cant click on. Thats because scareware designers will spoof icons from reputable companies. Theyre mooching off those companies good reputations to trick you into thinking they work together.

So if you cant click through to the sites, take that as a red flag. Of course, the best way to protect yourself from scareware is to protect your device with robust and up-to-date antivirus software. Kim recommends our sponsor, TotalAV.

TotalAVs industry-leading security suite is easy to use and offers the best protection in the business. In fact, its received the renowned VB100 award for detecting more than 99% of malware samples over the last three years.

Not only do you get continuous protection from the latest threats, but its AI-driven Web Shield browser extension blocks dangerous websites automatically, and its Junk Cleaner can help you quickly clear out your old files.

Right now, get an annual plan of TotalAV Internet Security for only $19 at ProtectWithKim.com. Thats over 85% off the regular price.

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