Scammers set up dodgy quizzes, clickbait pages and random videos that flash “Click Allow to continue” right behind your browser’s real notification pop-up. Tap Allow and you’ve actually signed up for their notifications — so even after you leave, they can spam your phone with fake virus warnings, bogus “missed payment” alerts and messages pretending to be family. It’s not a virus, which is why a scan comes back clean while the scary alerts keep landing.
The moveWhen a site says you must “Allow notifications to continue”, hit Block or Deny — you never need to. If alerts are already arriving, don’t tap them. Open your browser’s notification settings and block the site (on Chrome for Android: Settings › Site settings › Notifications).
Three full-screen slides for the projector: the scenario, the questions, then the explanation. Building a tutor-time slide deck? Use the direct link to the slides.
Put this to the class
Someone is doing an online quiz and a box pops up saying “Click Allow to continue.” A week later their phone keeps buzzing with scary “missed payment” alerts. What did that Allow button actually do?
Some students may say
It’s probably a virus from the quiz site.
Then ask
If a device scan comes back clean, what did they agree to instead?
A good answer
They gave the site permission to send browser notifications, so it can keep pushing fake alerts even after they’ve left — no virus needed.
The habit to land
“Allow to continue” is a trick: you never need notifications to use a page, so decline prompts you didn’t expect.
Try this
Quick vote: which of these permission prompts would you be suspicious of, and why?
A random quiz: “Allow notifications to continue”
A maps app asking for your location
A shocking news page: “Allow to see the video”
A messaging app asking to send you notifications
Suggested answer
The quiz and the video page are the red flags: they dangle something tempting and claim you must Allow to go on. You never need notifications just to view a page.
If a student says it’s happened to them
They’re not in trouble and it’s an easy trap to fall into. Don’t tap links in the alerts; block the site in the browser’s notification settings. If they clicked through and handed over any details, tell them to change any password they typed in and flag it the way the school normally passes on a concern.