A critical error Crash Screen call 1-844-208-3526

Some malicious infections are very vocal about themselves; others work in your system quietly. When you see a notification that says “A critical error Crash Screen call 1-844-208-3526,” you can be sure that your computer has been infected by a malicious program that is not scared to show itself. This notification belongs to a new type of ransomware, which is called Nigma by some researchers. We believe that this infection functions like a Trojan, so if you want to remove the “A critical error Crash Screen call 1-844-208-3526” notification from your screen, you will have to terminate this Trojan, too.

It is clear that the notification itself is not a malicious infection. It is only one of the many ways an infection manifests itself. The message is located in the %AppData% directory, in the Master folder. The file names associated with this infection are Nigma.exe and Master.exe. This program does not allow you to kill the notification or the processes that display it because upon the installation it denies access to Windows Task Manager. Once the access to your Task Manager is disabled, this infection starts displaying fake security warnings. To display those warnings and to communicate with its developers, this program (like most of the ransomware applications) connects to the Internet behind your back.

During our research, we have managed to identify a few servers this program connects to, for example, demo1.geniesoftsystem.com/master/index.php/api/getdate and 159.203.127.87/nigma/index.php/api/check_version. Judging from the names of the sites this infection connects to, we can assume that it can contact such servers and download updates for itself. What’s more, when it comes to malicious programs, together with updates they may also download and install more unwanted and potentially harmful software. Albeit our security researchers say that as of now this “A critical error Crash Screen call 1-844-208-3526” notification does not work properly, it does not mean that the cyber criminals could not come up with something more efficient in the future.

Why do you see this notification on your screen? Malware revolves around one thing lately, and that is obviously money. So, when you log in to your computer, and you see a big blue screen with the error message on it, you are bound to do everything you can to make your computer work again. You have to remember that when you encounter the usual BSOD (the so-called Blue Screen Of Death), no one asks you to call any support number. You just go through some system error.

However, when you are infected with this Trojan, the “A critical error Crash Screen call 1-844-208-3526” message expects you to pick up your phone and dial the given number. Supposedly, you should call a “certified Microsoft technician” to solve this issue. Needless to say, if there were anyone to answer on the other end, it would not be a Microsoft technician. It would be a person who works along with the criminals behind this infection, and you would most definitely be asked to give away your credit card information or purpose some programs you neither need nor want.

In order to bypass this notification on your screen, you need to restart your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. When your system loads, you will have to access the Internet and download the SpyHunter free scanner. This program will help you kill all the malicious processes and delete the harmful applications that do not allow you to load your PC properly in Normal Mode.

After that, do not forget to scan your computer once more in Normal Mode. Trojans seldom travel alone, so you may have several other unfamiliar and possibly risky applications on-board that need to be taken care of. Please do everything you can to protect your computer and your financial stability from cyber criminals.

How to Remove Malware via Safe Mode with Networking

Windows 10, Windows 8 & Windows 8.1

1. Slide your mouse cursor to the bottom right of your screen.
2. Click Settings on the Charm bar and press the Power button.
3. Press and hold the Shift key and click Restart.
4. Navigate to Troubleshoot and open Advanced options.
5. Open Startup settings and click Restart.
6. Press and hold the F5 key to select in Safe Mode with Networking.
7. Go to http://www.pcthreat.com/download-sph .
8. Download SpyHunter and launch a full system scan.

Windows 7 & Windows Vista

1. Reboot your computer and press F8 several times.
2. Select Safe Mode with Networking on the Advanced Boot Options menu.
3. Press Enter and wait for the system to load.
4. Access http://www.pcthreat.com/download-sph and download SpyHunter.
5. Install the application and scan your PC.

Windows XP

1. Restart your PC and tap F8 several times.
2. Use arrow keys to navigate and choose Safe Mode with Networking.
3. Press Enter and click Yes on the confirmation box.
4. Download SpyHunter and run a full system scan.

If you encounter any difficulties while trying to restore your desktop access or remove potential malware, please let us know by leaving a comment below this description.