What is fake antivirus software?

What is fake antivirus software?

Fake antivirus software ads and pop-ups try to make you believe your computer is infected with a virus (or dozens of them)—and that you can fix the problem by downloading their software. These ads are also called scareware.
Pay attention to ads and pop-ups that prompt you to take immediate action or ones that are hard to close. Be sure to install, update, and use real antivirus software to reduce the risk of scareware.