Asus Zenfone 8 Virus alert (brand new phone)

[Gumstar]

Hi, My wife just got a brand new Asus Zenfone 8. it was installed on 5 days ago. today it started giving Virus alerts. She says she has not downloaded anything. only browsed various websites.
we have tried Avast Antivirus and Malware bytes app's. they find nothing. Any ideas?
we are reluctant to actually push the Virus notification. see attached screenshot

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Those are bogus alerts being created by some website on Chrome. It could be due to an app she installed, or it might be due to visiting that website and inadvertently agreeing to receive notifications from the site.

Try clearing the Chrome browser's history and cookies (in the app's Privacy settings) "from the beginning of time", and also do the same on her desktop Chrome (when it's logged into her Google account). For good measure, clear the app cache/data for Chrome in Settings>Apps​. Now see if they persist.

Another approach is to open the Chrome app's settings and go to Site Settings>Notifications and look for that site (middogguide . com), and block notifications.

 

[Mooncatt]

Agreed.

Also, whatever you do, don't install those apps! One of the most common ways to get malware is to be presented with a fake virus alert (as if they somehow scanned your phone instantly and without your approval) and try to convince you that you need their app to remove it. When you install the app from whatever random shady site they link you to, that's when the virus is actually installed. Apps can't install themselves on Android because you have to specifically approve any installation. That's why they try to trick you into installing their malware.