FBI Warning Screen
The FBI warning screen prank shows a full-screen federal-lock notice: an official-looking seal, a red "THIS DEVICE HAS BEEN LOCKED" headline, a case number, and a live recording timer counting up. It follows the ransomware-lock trope closely, except nothing is locked and nothing is recording.
Press F11 for maximum realism. Tap or press Esc to exit.
For the best results, add this to the device's home screen. It then opens with no address bar, no tabs and no URL, so there is nothing left to give it away.
This is the straightest-faced of our scare pages: no skulls, no flashing, just bureaucratic menace. Prefer something louder? The fake virus alert goes full klaxon. Want the criminal version rather than the official one? The fake ransomware screen demands payment instead of citing a statute.
How to use the fbi warning screen prank
- Open this page on the computer, phone or tablet and press Launch Full-Screen Prank.
- On a computer, press F11 on Windows or Ctrl + Cmd + F on a Mac if any browser bar is still showing.
- Let it run for a minute or two before anyone sees it, so the recording timer is already well past zero.
- Stay close, and click or tap it away the moment the person starts to look worried.
This FBI warning screen is the lock-screen kind, not the movie warning
Two very different screens go by this name. One is the anti-piracy notice that played before films on tapes and discs. This page is the other one: a fake device lock that copies the police-locker scams that froze computers and accused their owners of a crime. If you came for the movie card, this is not it.
What the fake FBI lock screen shows, and what it does not do
A dark navy screen with a striped shield inside a gold ring, the words "FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION", and a red "THIS DEVICE HAS BEEN LOCKED" headline. Under that, a paragraph claims the IP address and location have been logged and that activity is being recorded. The bottom line shows a case ID, a recording timer and "Status: UNDER REVIEW". The case number is a fresh random one each time you launch it, and the timer counts up in minutes and seconds from 0:00.
The shield is not the real FBI seal. The page does not turn on the camera or microphone, ask for a location, demand payment, play a sound or lock the keyboard. It is a picture with a counter.
How to end the FBI warning screen fast
A click or tap anywhere ends it, and so does Esc or leaving full screen. On a phone opened from a home-screen icon, swiping up also leaves. Ending it fast matters more here than on most pranks, because the message is an accusation, not a delay.
Who should never see the FBI warning screen
Skip it for anyone who has been caught by a scam, anyone with real legal or immigration worries, children and older relatives. Skip work devices, where IT may treat it as a security incident. Never pair it with a demand for money or a password. For a scare that reads as silly from the first second, the fake virus alert is the louder option.
Frequently asked questions
Is the FBI lock screen real?
No. It's a web page mimicking the bogus "FBI seized this device" warnings scammers have used for years. Nothing is locked, nothing is reported and no camera is on. Close the tab and it's gone.
What is the FBI warning screen?
It's a prank version of a real scam. So-called "FBI MoneyPak" or police-locker malware would freeze a computer, accuse the owner of a crime, and demand a fine be paid to unlock it. The pages were designed to frighten people into paying before they thought to check. Ours is a harmless imitation of that look.
Is the recording timer actually using my camera?
No. It's a counter that starts at zero and ticks upward. The page never requests camera or microphone permission, and your browser would have to ask you first if it did. That prompt not appearing is your proof.
How do you get out of the FBI lock screen?
Tap the screen, press Esc, or close the tab. The device was never locked, so there's no code to enter, nothing to pay and nothing to undo.
Can I get in trouble for using it?
The page itself is harmless and legal, but this is the prank to be most careful with. Using it to make someone believe they are genuinely under investigation, or to pressure them into paying or handing anything over, moves it out of joke territory. Reveal it fast, and never use it on someone who'd be genuinely frightened by a law-enforcement accusation.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It fills the screen on both iOS and Android, and the seal-and-headline layout is built to stay legible on a narrow display. Adding it to the home screen strips the address bar for a cleaner effect.
Why does it say FBI rather than my own country's police?
Because the FBI version is the one the original scam made famous worldwide, and it reads as recognizable shorthand almost anywhere. The screen is deliberately generic beyond the seal, so it still lands outside the US as "official-looking trouble".
Will a virus scanner block this page?
There's nothing malicious to detect, but some network filters block pages containing words like "locked" and "FBI", so it may not load on restricted school or office Wi-Fi.