Some cybercriminals are taking advantage of recent widespread ransomware attacks to deploy scams that mimic ransomware, according to WFMY-TV.
Here are four things to know about the cyberthreat.
1. Nico Froehner, who works for Best Buy's Geek Squad, told WFMY-TV his team has experienced a rise in pop-ups that pose as ransomware and demand money to purportedly unfreeze a target's computer.
2. Mr. Froehner told WFMY-TV a cybercriminal might deploy a pop-up that temporarily locks a target's computer in the hopes it scares the target into paying the demand.
3. However, if hit by a fake ransomware attack, a target can often get around the pop-up by restarting his or her computer or force quitting open programs.
4. The recent rise in pop-ups mirrors a prediction Kaspersky Lab detailed in a report released last month. Kaspersky predicted malware disguised as ransomware would pose an "alarming trend" in the third quarter of 2017.