That '$149.99 charge' pop-up from Amazon or Apple? Don't call the number

You're reading something online when the page freezes under a full-screen warning: your Amazon account, or maybe your Apple ID, was just charged $149.99 for a purchase you never made. There's a phone number to call "immediately" to stop it. Malwarebytes flagged this one on August 6, and it's landing on a lot of screens right now.

The two versions look different - one wears Amazon's branding, the other Apple's - but they're the same scam underneath, and there's a giveaway that proves it: the callback number is identical on both. Call it and a "support agent" picks up, ready to walk you through "cancelling" the charge. That's when the real theft starts - they'll ask to remote into your PC, fish for your account password or card number, or steer you toward paying a "refund fee" in gift cards. The $149.99 is picked carefully: big enough to alarm you, small enough that you don't stop to think.

Here's the rule that ends it cold: a real charge is never disputed by calling a number in a pop-up. Amazon and Apple tell you about account activity by email, in the app, or in your order history - never through a warning that hijacks your browser. So don't call. Close the tab (if it won't close, open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc and end the browser), then check your actual orders by going to the site or app yourself. If you already called or let someone remote in, disconnect, change your passwords from another device, and ring your bank.

Because this scam runs on panic and a phone call, spotting the pattern is the real defence. But if a pop-up ever talked you into installing something or handing over remote access, Tendvane's Safety check surfaces unexpected startup programs and browser extensions, so you can see whether anything got left behind.