My wife received a “Your Computer Is Locked” virus message, instructing her to call 833-324-0303, and when she contacted the number, the caller claimed to be a Microsoft representative.

Understanding and Resolving the “Your Computer Has Been Locked Up” Virus

I recently encountered a common yet frustrating issue that many computer users may face: my wife fell victim to a “Your computer has been locked up” virus scam. A message appeared on her screen instructing her to call the number 833-324-0303, claiming to be from Microsoft.

As soon as she received the call, she reached out to me for assistance. I advised her to restart her computer—a simple yet effective solution to many of these scams.

When she asked the caller for a website to verify his identity, he responded with an evasive remark: “This is the way we do it—having a site doesn’t help.” It was clear that this was a tactic to maintain control over the situation.

Fortunately, after restarting her Apple computer, the alarming warning disappeared, and she was able to use her device normally again. This experience reminded me of similar occurrences on my Windows computers, which happen approximately every year or two. In those cases, powering off the computer has always resolved the issue.

Have any of you dealt with similar scams? What steps did you take to handle the situation? I welcome your thoughts and feedback!

Thank you!