Stop a fake virus alert delivered as an Edge website notification

A website notification can appear in the Windows corner or notification center even when Edge is closed. Scammers exploit that legitimate channel to display a fake virus alert with a phone number or a link to a 'repair' page. The notification is content from a site you previously allowed, not a Windows Security diagnosis. Microsoft distinguishes website notifications from browser pop-ups, so blocking pop-ups alone may not stop the messages.

Before you start​

Do not call the number, install a tool or give remote access. Note the website name shown on the notification. If you already installed software or paid a stranger, preserve the details and contact your bank or device-support provider through a known number; changing the browser permission is only one part of recovery.

Do it step by step​

1. Open Microsoft Edge yourself. Go to Settings and more, Settings, Privacy, search, and services, Site permissions, All sites. Find the site shown in the notification; check the exact domain because scammers use lookalike names.
2. Open its permissions and set Notifications to Block. Alternatively, while on the site, use the site-information control beside the address bar to change Notifications to Block. Do not reopen a suspicious link merely to reach that shortcut.
3. Review other allowed-notification sites and remove unfamiliar entries one at a time. Keep permissions that genuinely deliver wanted alerts. A broad operating-system notification switch can hide useful warnings without fixing the website permission.
4. Close the scam page. If it trapped Edge in full-screen mode, use the browser's normal exit-full-screen shortcut or close the tab; do not follow the page's instructions. Reopen Edge and confirm the unwanted notification does not recur.
5. If you clicked a download or ran software, open Windows Security, update protection and run an appropriate scan. Review recently installed apps and browser extensions. If you entered a password, change it on the real service from a trusted device.
6. Verify the specific site now shows Block in Edge and watch the notification center for another sender. If messages continue, inspect their actual source rather than assuming the first site was the only one with permission.

Check the result​

The offending domain is blocked and no fresh alert appears from it. Any separate download, password entry, payment or remote-access event has been investigated rather than treated as solved by the permission change.

If something goes wrong​

If notifications persist while Edge is closed, Microsoft says that can still be a site notification; check the sender and allowed-site list. If the alert is a web page opening in a tab, use the pop-up and tab controls instead. If malware installed a separate Windows app, the browser permission will not remove that app.

Know the limit​

Blocking notifications stops one delivery route. It does not prove the computer is clean or validate a warning's claim. Real Windows Security alerts should be checked by opening Windows Security directly, not by clicking a website's phone number or payment link. Microsoft Edge website notifications Microsoft Edge security features