fake scanner scam advert

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While on wrongplanet, I have been getting the fake virus scanner advert scam! I have got it 4 times, and each time on a different computer. This is happening with IE
NO, it is NOT my computers, this is on the WP end (or maybe the google ads? if that is possible?)
This advert is evil, and for the poor sucker who clicks on it, downloads it, it probably means the nasty virus version of this, or a scam out of there money.

If anyone else is getting this advert, use ctrl+alt+del keys to bring up task manager, and close IE from there (click on IE and end task), but whatever you do, DONT go to the site or download/install anything, even that this might look real, you will regret falling for it.

I REALLY pitty the person who clicks on it!
I did a little googling on this, here is the exact same problem that is happing here.
(Towards that bottom it shows what the advert/virus looks like.)
Web Page Name
I only seem to be getting it at certain times, so I imagine it is when a certain ad pops up.

I've gotten it, too. It startled me enough the first time to make me shut down my browser and run my anti-virus software, but now I just click cancel on the dialog box then close the tab it opened in (I use IE, too.)

I agree it is an evil, evil scam.

I get it too, but I wasn't so much surprised as I was sad. I am contacted Alex, as he is in charge of such things now. Has anyone else contacted Alex about this? I haven't gotten a response.

Merle

I've had this happen several times since about November 2009. First two times I had to download, install, and run anti-malware software to fix the problem. What's really confounding/frustrating is that I don't know what link I clicked on to trigger the virus, but it was definitely at this website.

Roadracer: good advice, I have used that method the last couple of times and it works.

Sins: I have not contacted Alex about this. PS, I'm glad you've stuck around since the mod issues.

I remember that back in November, but this is a different one. My AVG catches it when I am navagating from one forum post to another, though and up pops my AVG warning screen that I have hit a snag, infection wise.



I have three of those since 11/26/09 and the last one on 11/30/09. Another one on 01/07/10 and yet another at 02/22/10, 02/24/10 and 02/26/10.

I really don't know what all that means, but it was always on WP going from one page to another. Thanks, DenvrDave, can't keep a good woman down, ya' know

Merle

My sentiments, exactly

I got it one day at work and it started downloading itself - I had not clicked on a thing. Scary.

Should we put a sticky alert in the general discussion board and maybe again on parenting?

Internet Explorer? Says it all really...

I think I got the same thing. I have been here and a very few times it would start a virus scanner and I would click out of the page and come back. I never clicked on any ads. I thought I was the only one.

I don't seem to get any of these issues at all with the ads... Also these ads also respond to whatever activity that you are doing, mainly what websites you are doing?

For the meantime, I highly recommend you using firefox and having the ad blocker add-on for the meantime until the problem is cleared out or have a very good program like spysweeper, which actually is a very good program, sometimes it blocks dodgy ads and traffic coming to the computer.

hopefully that should resolve some problems.

Not saying it topic

I prefer IE to Mozilla Firefox, which screwed things up so badly I just deleted it.

No, it is not a IE problem but a google adsense issue. There is code in a google ad that pops up certain times according to certain keywords (at least that is what I am thinking) and will happen no matter what browser you are using. It just happens that most people using firefox have a adblocker installed, and that stops it from happening.
Google adsense is notorious for this type of problem, and have a reporting system for it. The advert will not harm your computer just by poping up, but when you click on it thinking it is real, and follow what it says, it will download the virus to your computer, rendering it useless till the person gets it fixed. This is a big money making scam virus, because when you get it on your computer, it renders everything useless, except for a screen that pops up telling you that you need to pay them money inorder to buy this scanner (that is fake) that will save your computer. They take your money and you are left with a brick, and the people who are smart enough to know how to fix it, would never fall for the advert in the first place.

The problem is that I see a good many people on WP probably think the advert is real, or are comfused as to what to do when they see it, and are rendering there computers into a brick, or worse, having the scammers draining there bank account.
This is somewhat hypothetical situation, but if someone was to get scammed out of there life savings because of this, WP, Google, and Alex could possibly get there pants sued off. I have never heard of this happening, but since people HAVE lost large amounts of money to these sort of scams, it is very possible!
So, for me and a lot of people here this is probably just a annoyance, because we know it is a scam and wouldnt click on it, but for others, any or all of the above could happen.

Ok, it just happened one minute ago. I opened the WP website in IE, clicked once on a discussion forum, clicked once on a topic, and started reading. After about 15 seconds of reading, the malware window popped up and I closed it using Roadracer's suggestion, so no harm done. I'm not complaining, just trying to provide factual information that the site admins may find useful.

there is but one site admin, and that is Alex.

What about it Likescalico/Spokane_Girl/League_Girl, can you get Alex interested in this?

It's apparently seeing a surge as a result of the Chile earthquake: Link