Posted on 09/14/2023 9:24:25 AM PDT by LouAvul
I cleaned my computer cache (IE files; Internet "history"; and CC cleaner). I then went online to Walmart link.
Then my computer screen had the dreaded pseudo Microsoft warning: "You have malware; call our number..."
There were several flashing banners, etc. I shut the computer down; rebooted; cleaned cache; etc.
I didn't get the scam from the Walmart website, did I? Microsoft's website says this is a common scam currently, and my Malwarebytes didn't catch it. Neither did AVG.
Did this piggyback something? Is it a time release program? I was on Zillow, Freerepublic, 3 gun forums, etc. thnx
Actually, I might have clicked on a “Rolling Stone” news link off of Freerepublic. That’s a really hinky trashy website. I wonder?
“I then went online to Walmart link.
Did you go directly to walmart.com or click on something that claimed to be a link to Walmart?
I found this sicko crap hiding in those big green “Continue” buttons you encounter when trying to read something on the obnoxious internet. I don’t push that button anymore. All is good.
Got the same scam app. Hard to close the computer but I got that done and ran malwarebytes which found nothing, no trojan , nothing.
I have run into it by clicking on one of the clickbait sites that show up on the browser from Microsoft
I just clicked on the first link on the page.
Thanks. I have often hit that “continue” button. No more.
Yeah. Malwarebytes and AVG missed it. Weird.
If I may, and with the background that I dealt with my wife's cousin about the same issue, this is NOT a Microsoft warning, of course.
You did the absolutely correct thing. For those computers with an on-off switch which is dual function for sleep, holding the off button for ten seconds completely shuts down the OS.
Rebooting does not "reboot" the browser and its links. Important to run your CCleaner targeting one or more browser histories. Only then should a browser again be used.
In dinosaur days, I used to unplug a desktop or remove the battery from a lap top. Same thing. Total power down. Brutal yet effective.
You most likely clicked to a link which was not the actual company you sought. The scams are hidden in and under seemingly legit icons on some web pages. I have seen them on gun sites, cooking sites and some oddball "prepper" sites as well as a usual list of Lefty sites.
A site with the "lock" logo in the address bar of the browser is safe. Others are not. Never ever click on a pop-up message. And never trust one, either. And never call one of these numbers.
Direct to Walmart and Amazon are fine, but get in the habit of looking in your browser's address bar for the "lock" which should appear to the direct left of the URL.
Best wishes.
Not weird. It was ONLY in the browser. Before a scan gets to it.
Anecdote: decades ago, one of the first viruses I encountered was a simple email message, telling that there "could be" a problem, and telling in pleasant verbiage and detail how to go into the OS file, locate the "could be" DLL which was actually crucial to the OS booting (a teddy bear icon, by the way, for Windows 95), and of course delete the "could be" virus." And then the OS didn't boot. The virus was the message. Be skeptical, always.
Notice that the real VIRUS was the idea that you could "test" by going into the hard drive, etc. How alike to the Tedros 2020 advice to "test, test, test" and then succeeding years of "could be" even though asymptomatic, so "test." And test and test. Viruses via messages,
Download the free versions of the following:
Avast Antivirus
Malwarebytes
I think there is a third on you need too, but the name escapes me. Any freepers remember?
this happened to me yesterday on dreaded Facebook. :(
CCleaner too
Those things are usually a complete scam. Nothing will happen unless you click on the popup link. If in doubt, use task manager to close your browser, and maybe clear the browser cache when you restart.
I used to have that happen a few times. Never do anything or click anything. I shut down too. They want you to think they are official.
This tends to be a problem more when instead of keying an address into the address bar... you enter something like “walmart” into a search bar. This is confusing because a lot of people use their address bars as search bars entering walmart instead of walmart.com. I ran into trouble the other day when I entered a county name in a search and I ended up clicking on a site that appeared to be the official website but actually was a phishing scam.
You can also get it by clicking on dodgy emails.
What page is, that page? Are you saying you did a search and clicked on the first link presented on the search results page? If that's the case, why would you do that? The URL for Walmart is walmart.com
I think I got that scam twice. It was supposedly from Apple. I called apple to verify and they said don’t click on it. Yes, watch out for those continue buttons.
Thank you. All good to know.
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