How to protect yourself from fake pop-ups while streaming, identify spoofed websites

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A pop-up while you're streaming?

Tech experts at Mashable are issuing a new scam alert for consumers: Pop- ups on your TV as you stream.

Sometimes it's the activation screen, or a legitimate issue with connectivity, but pop-ups are also turning out to be useful to scammers

A fake "Internet Connectivity Problem" pop-up is possible. If you click, it leads you to malware and your personal information can be at risk.

Before you click, check the URL. Red flags for malicious links are spelling mistakes or random characters that deviate from the company's official URL.

Beware of spoofed websites that claim to provide technical support for streaming apps. So, if you are googling for tech support, make sure you double check the actual address of the link.

If you believe you may be involved in a pop-up scam, don't provide credit card or any other personal information. This is just giving the scammers what they want.

For more information, click here.