Is it a Scam?....

Woe is me!  My computer is having major issues.  Well it was working fine until all of a sudden some HP system installed on my computer wanted me to update my security. 

I've known for quite some time that one of my security programs expired.  Every once in awhile a little zombie looking creature walks across my screen telling me to update to prevent a zombie attack.  My response is certainly not one of action!  I just think those things are such a money pit.

So today it knocked me off-line telling me that there were numerous high risks to my computer and showing me that I needed to click the "activate now" security button.  I was annoyed.  I wanted to continue working at my computer not messing with a stupid security issue.  I couldn't bypass it.  It kept knocking me off-line every few minutes.  So I finally took the bait.  I clicked the "activate now" button.  You know what popped up next?  A window for me to enter my credit card information to buy this so-called "lifetime" protection for the lovely price of $79.99.  NO WAY!  Now please tell me that's not a scam!  I closed out the window.  Another window popped up immediately telling me my computer was about to be hacked so please click the "activate now" button again.  I instead went to my computer's control panel and figured out how to disable the irritating security message.  I'm convinced those things are a scam.  Their purpose is to frighten people into paying the nearly 80 bucks. 

I actually don't understand how my computer itself could be hacked.  I do buy and pay bills online.  I never let them keep my info on file just in case their files are ever hacked.  I don't store any of my bank account info on my computer like some people do.  Now if companies I pay bills to get hacked then I'm in trouble, along with thousands of other people. 

All I know is that what I dealt with today on this computer with that security issue seemed like a scam.  So hopefully I am right! Hopefully I made the right decision to close it out and re-work my security settings to prevent it from popping up further.  Another thing that gets me is that I can go to Target or Best Buy and get security protection for $20.  Why would anyone buy it online for the $79.99 price.  Oh and that price was the cheapest option listed!  And they had the original price of $129.99 marked out.  As if to advertise the $79.99 price to be a huge deal!  Yeah, such a scam!