Is this just a scam or is there really something wrong with my computer?

It is a scam and will most likely make things worse.

If you are using IE you need to stop and download Firefox or Chrome.

These are ads made to look like real things that will scare you into paying them.

Don’t click on something like that. Close your browser and run your own antivirus.

It’s not a scam to get you to buy software- it’s a malicious attack to gather data/use your computer to send spam/viruses to others. If you’re seeing it pop up on a variety of websites and at different times (not just when you first open a site) then you most likely have a virus.

If you are using Windows- download Microsoft Security Essentials- it’s free and works very well or use your antivirus software you already have (updated) and installed.

^ What they said.
This is not Windows talking to you. It’s a pop-up from a website. Don’t listen to it.
If it were Windows, not only would they have been more specific about what’s wrong, but also it wouldn’t only show up when your internet browser is open.

Man, am I glad I’ve used Firefox since it was in Beta!

Those sort of pop-ups are bad news, kind of like crack whores with venereal warts. First off, you need a browser that blocks those things; @johnpowell is entirely correct. Personally, I’ve never seen those in pop-up form on my rigs thanks to using those two browsers. (Some pages have those as banner ads, but I ignore those.)

Second, if you already have anti-virus software on your PC then trust it and not some ad. I use Avira and don’t trust any virus warning that isn’t in an Avira-generated dialog box. There are a few other good ones, but you won’t see most of them on a store shelf; you have to find them online.

I had the same issue a few months ago, switched to firefox.

There are also false viruses, according to my tech guy that are similar in the false warnings.

Fact from fiction, truth from diction. I use to get stuff like that but using AVG and or Zone Alarm by Grisoft I don’t. Zone alarm takes a while to configure at the beginning but once you have it dialed in it runs in the background and catches all sorts of nasty things, viruses, keyloggers, BHOs, malware, spyware, and then some. And it is FREE! So much better.

ZoneAlarm is pretty decent, though I’ve heard more positive things about Comodo Firewall than ZA. Also free, also good, and it’s always good to have alternatives. That said, I still use ZA Free ;)

Read this if you want to know more about good free firewalls.

@jerv You should always have 3 layers of protection at least, so the fact you have more than one should keep you pretty safe. What virus is in one program’s library might not be in the other and visa versa.

@Hypocrisy_Central Between Avira and the firewall in my router, I think that I have enough redundancy there, especially given the heuristics and general protection of Avira.
Of course, having a program that is >99% effective beats having one that is <95% effective anyways, so it almost goes without saying that using better ‘wares allows for a certain level of forgiveness; the less effective each layer is, the more layers you need.
Sure, I could make things more effective, but there is a point of diminishing returns. That is why companies tend to have better security than home systems anyways; they can afford to spend the $$$$$ to achieve a small increase in effectiveness. Well, that and they are more likely to be hacked, so they need better security.

I use Firefox. It is most likely to be a scam because it’s promoting you to buy something that is probably a hacker trying to get into your computer. Since I use Firefox, whenever I go across the wrong page it stops me before I go to it and says it’s a scam or it’s been blocked for my safety. I forgot what it says exactly though. You should get Firefox.