It’s one of the oldest digital scams in the book. And yet, the fake security alert has evolved with the times and remains a popular way for criminals to defraud their victims. The premise of the attack is pretty simple. A popup is designed to look like a real security alert. But instead of warning users about a threat to their computer, it asks them to call a fake hotline. At the other end, fraudsters posing as cybersecurity experts manipulate callers into making payments, handing over login credentials, or even control of their devices.