Bhigdog Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 I was just surfing around and got a pop up to take an "AACA" survey . With my curiosity piqued I agreed to the survey and was told I'd be rewarded with a $55 gift for taking it. Oh good........A free lunch. Sounded too good to be true. The "survey" was about 5 lame questions. Then I got a pop up saying I was chosen to get the "gift" but I needed to reply within 5 minutes or it would be given to the next guy in line. The "gift" was a picture of a nice looking and expensive LED head lamp. On the screen was a clock ticking down. OH! OH! OH! I better jump on this. All I had to do was click on the "accept" icon. With trembling fingers I clicked on "accept". The next pop up was asking my mailing info and a credit card # to cover the very nominal shipping of $5.95. WTF! Not exactly free but still a deal. How could I lose? What could go wrong? It's an AACA deal so it must be legit. Right? Mean while the clock of doom is still ticking down. Only 2 minutes left to claim my gift. OH BOY! Not near enough time to read the fine print. I'll read real fast. Oops. HEY, WAIT A MINUTE! It says if I decide to keep it after 15 days my card will be billed an additional $55. Guess they figure there must be a lot of folks that just fell off the turnip truck.........................Ya'll be careful now, hear..............Bob 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLYER15015 Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 Thanks for the heads up !!!!!! Mike in Colorado Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 I got $5.95 to wager that says your credit card would've been max'd out in about 30 seconds. Yes, be careful. -Ron 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 Sounds like smart scammer who saw you frequented the AACA Forums and used that to get you to read their scam. It's like they do with telephone robo calls, use a false local number to lower your defenses. "Must be somebody we know or trust". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 6 minutes ago, Paul Dobbin said: Sounds like smart scammer who saw you frequented the AACA Forums and used that to get you to read their scam. It's like they do with telephone robo calls, use a false local number to lower your defenses. "Must be somebody we know or trust". Yeah, maybe. it was obvious to me early on it was a phishing type scam but some likely get netted. On a maybe related note i just started to get large pop ups here on the forum. Some related to the post subject some random. Wondering if it's me or if the club sold me to someone. Not computer savvy enough to figure it out............bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 I opened a paint related post and soon got a large pop up from a paint site. Not knowing what else to do I just did a system reset to 10 days ago. Hopefully that will help.....Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stvaughn Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 44 minutes ago, Bhigdog said: On a maybe related note i just started to get large pop ups here on the forum. Some related to the post subject some random. Wondering if it's me or if the club sold me to someone. Not computer savvy enough to figure it out............bob Me too, on other sites also. Had to reset iPad to clear one. Hopefully someone on here can clue us in on how to prevent this from happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, Bhigdog said: i just started to get large pop ups here on the forum. Some related to the post subject some random. Wondering if it's me or if the club sold me to someone. Not computer savvy enough to figure it out............bob If one is not "savvy" with the ways of the internet, they need to be doubly careful on line. My advice to you is get some help with your PC (if it's a Mac, good luck), and have them install and switch to Firefox for your browser and then get the add-on "adblockplus", you won't see any ads or popups. I haven't seen an ad or popup in years. If you don't click on it, it don't happen. And best advice is to stay off gambling and porn sites, both loaded with data-miners and malware bots. Don't open attachments in emails from ANYone. Funny videos, picture links etc. Based on what you wrote above, someone is personally tracking you and/or your IP and targeting you for attack, I'd stay off the web and get some help securing your PC. -Ron Edited August 12, 2019 by Locomobile (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 28 minutes ago, Locomobile said: If one is not "savvy" with the ways of the internet, they need to be doubly careful on line. My advice to you is get some help with your PC (if it's a Mac, good luck), and have them install and switch to Firefox for your browser and then get the add-on "Super-adblocker", you won't see any ads or popups. I haven't seen an ad or popup in years. If you don't click on it, it don't happen. And best advice is to stay off gambling and porn sites, both loaded with data-miners and malware bots. Don't open attachments in emails from ANYone. Funny videos, picture links etc. Based on what you wrote above, someone is personally tracking you and/or your IP and targeting you for attack, I'd stay off the web and get some help securing your PC. -Ron I use firefox. i'll check on the ad blocker.......Thanx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 AACA has not shared any info except with a Nationwide discount program that has been running several years. I get these everyday from Amazon, Ebay, etc that come to me via text and usually say I won something or have a gift. I delete immediately. There is NO such program going on with AACA and no survey's being done at the present time although we may do on in the future. Our members will be well informed prior to that for sure. This is the first of this one I have heard so if anyone else gets it please forward it to me so i can give to our IT people. Thanks and sorry no $55.00!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 With Firefox, this is the one I use, sorry the name I gave is what it used to be called. https://adblockplus.org/ -Ron 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 31 minutes ago, Steve Moskowitz said: Thanks and sorry no $55.00!!! Cheap bast**ds......😉...................Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 2 minutes ago, Locomobile said: With Firefox, this is the one I use, sorry the name I gave is what it used to be called. https://adblockplus.org/ -Ron Thank you muchly................Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 1 hour ago, Locomobile said: With Firefox, this is the one I use, sorry the name I gave is what it used to be called. https://adblockplus.org/ -Ron Installed it and by the blockage report #'s and lack of pop ups it's working great. I'm in your debt..........Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 (edited) Enjoy. I use another one too called Ublockorigin. I think the adblockplus alone is sufficient. I've been running with those two for about 4 years now, no issues. When I'm watching a YouTube video and people are complaining about all the video ads in the comments, I just 😀 -Ron Edited August 12, 2019 by Locomobile (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John S. Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 Thanks to all for the allerts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL1630 Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 By the way, if you have a mac, firefox and an ad blocker will work fine as well. The directions are pretty much the same as on a PC. I like Ublock Origin, what @Locomobile suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 13, 2019 Author Share Posted August 13, 2019 19 hours ago, Locomobile said: With Firefox, this is the one I use, sorry the name I gave is what it used to be called. https://adblockplus.org/ -Ron Ron, I can't believe what a difference adblock has made. I can watch utube again and my computer is running soooooo much faster.............Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob47 Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 19 hours ago, Bhigdog said: Thank you muchly................Bob I also use adblocker - https://adblockplus.org/ - and I have never seen a pop-ad on the forum. I use Firefox as my browser. I just tried it with the Microsoft Edge browser which I don't have adblocker on and there were ads. I keep Microsoft Edge without adblocker so that I can read articles on some newspaper sites that require you to turn off adblocker to be able to read them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Bob, Glad it's working for you. Yep all of the ads trying to load slows everything down. It's one of the truly free and helpful software things out there. Another thing I do is occasionally run "malwarebytes", it's a free and powerful scanner that cleans the registry of malicious "pups" and cookies which track online activity. They have a free trial of the full blown product, but the scanner still works after the trial expires. https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/ -Ron P.S. If anyone else is considering adding these to a system. Use the links I provided here, there are lots of spoof sites that claim to offer free downloads and are actually spyware in disguise under the same name. A buddy of mine tried to download and got malware instead, a huge mess to get straightened out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Remember that gullibility is merely one part of a successful scam. The biggest single ingredient in scam pie, however, is greed, and not just on the scammer's part. Bob smelled the BS a-cookin' long before he got a chance to buy the pie, but for many folks who get taken, it isn't because the scammer is smarter than they are or because the internet is a big, scary, complicated place, but only because they want so desperately to get a deal or something for nothing. Ask any con man and he'll tell you that the very best marks are the ones who talk themselves into it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
real61ss Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 (edited) Damn Bob, you could have used that 55 dollars to pay for trailer parking at the GN meet next year!! (Never miss an opportunity to stir a pot!) Edited August 13, 2019 by real61ss (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 27 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said: but only because they want so desperately to get a deal or something for nothing. There are some social and ethnic groups where paying full price for any item will cause shame or the person to be ostracized. I have reached a point where I laugh every time I hear "That's not going to be cheap". Does anyone know when that became a prerequisite? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 One morning I woke up and sat down at the PC and checked my email, I had one from my bank, I can't remember why, it looked harmless and it was a matter that would require me to log in (didn't explicitly ask me to log in), but I wasn't fully awake and my vision was still blurry. I logged in and everything looked fine, the page said "System busy, try back later" then my vision cleared a bit and I glanced up at the address bar and it was from some gmail account. Too late, I had already entered my username and password. I frantically cancelled that out and logged in to the correct bank site and changed my password. Doing anything with financial websites, slow down, take time to look up at the web address and make sure you're on the correct page. These scammers will make exact copies of bank webpages, but of course they have to use a different web address. -Ron 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 16, 2019 Author Share Posted August 16, 2019 Scam up date...... I logged onto my brokerage account this AM and got a full page pop asking if I would take a brokerage firm's survey and claim a "valuable" prize as a thank you. Now where have I seen this before? Like before, I sniffed the bait right up to actually swallowing the hook. It was the exact same scam with only the questions asked and prizes offered being different. Interesting in that the scammers showed some sophistication in the bait offered. The AACA bait was male oriented guy stuff but the brokerage bait was split between a macho combat flashlight and high end skin care stuff. Hoping to net few female fish with way attractive bait I guess. Anyway, it appears the AACA wasn't specificly targeted and the scammers are casting a wide net. Also, the Ad blocker was easily bypassed by these scammers......Ya'll be careful..................Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 (edited) That is likely still happening because they are not ads, those popup scams are likely a PUP on your PC. If you haven't, I would run the Malwarebytes scan. Also, if you've installed anything recently, it may be attached to that. Gaming software or any sort of free entertainment based software is notorious for those sorts of attachments. Make sure your Windows firewall is turned on. -Ron Edited August 17, 2019 by Locomobile (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 17 minutes ago, Locomobile said: That is likely still happening because they are not ads, those popup scams are likely a PUP on your PC. If you haven't, I would run the Malwarebytes scan. Also, if you've installed anything recently, it may be attached to that. Gaming software or any sort of free entertainment based software is notorious for those sorts of attachments. Make sure your Windows firewall is turned on. -Ron Most of all make SURE you are using a good virus protection program. Remember in most cases when it comes to virus and malware protection you get what you pay for (ie "free" is free for a reason which is usually not as good as a paid version with more features and better coding and support). Norton/Symantec or McAfee are good products for virus and malware protection some others are not as good. The best products are ones that receive constant updates, use real time scanning of files, web sites etc. prevent problems BEFORE they occur and do not slow down your computer. One of my IT clients uses Symantec for their business and I use McAfee for my personal systems so I have seen both of these in action, firsthand. Malwarebytes (paid version) is very good for malware protection but not really designed to do anything else (ie virus protection). The other elephant in the room here is Backing up one's PC. When was the last time you backed up your PC (Operating System, programs and files)? When it comes to backups, it is a matter of WHEN not IF you will need one. A backup is cheap insurance when it comes to a hard drive failure, PC system failure, Ransomeware attack, etc. I know of one VERY well known Corporation that recently learned the very hard way about this and paid a steep price both financially and with their customer relationships. Bottom line, if you have information on your home computer that you cannot afford to lose talk to your computer guy (if you have one) and start doing backups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 17, 2019 Author Share Posted August 17, 2019 Thanks guys. I do have a paid subscription for Symantic and run scans but this thing found a way to get through. The ad blocker is doing a good job but a few still worm their way in ........ I thought my confuser was supposed to make life easier/simpler.......NOT.................Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 (edited) Just my opinion. I used to use Norton's (Symantec) and was very disappointed with it. Maybe it's better now, but it's a resource hog and wasn't very effective. McAfee's is/was better. 55 minutes ago, Bhigdog said: I do have a paid subscription for Symantic and run scans but this thing found a way to get through. That is exactly how my Norton's worked. Looks great, but not too effective. Since PC's have went to 64 bit systems (which secured the ports) and later Windows versions have a much more effective firewall and security features, those 3rd party virus softwares are often not needed. Unless someone is operating with total disregard for malware threats, downloading free software, opening attachments that have been circulated extensively, the threat level is pretty low. Windows XP And Windows 7 are generally 32 bit. There is also a 64 bit version of Windows 7 and then Windows 8 and Windows 10 are both 64 bit. -Ron Edited August 17, 2019 by Locomobile (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 17, 2019 Author Share Posted August 17, 2019 Still running Windows 7. My understanding It'll soon stop being supported and i'll have to do something else. Oh, more fun!..... I can't wait......Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 21, 2019 Author Share Posted August 21, 2019 (edited) On 8/17/2019 at 9:46 AM, charlier said: The other elephant in the room here is Backing up one's PC. When was the last time you backed up your PC (Operating System, programs and files)? When it comes to backups, it is a matter of WHEN not IF you will need one. A backup is cheap insurance when it comes to a hard drive failure, PC system failure, Ransomeware attack, etc. I know of one VERY well known Corporation that recently learned the very hard way about this and paid a steep price both financially and with their customer relationships. You're correct, I know. I've been going unprotected (un backed up) for quite awhile. Heeding your advice there should be an external hard drive in tomorrows mail. Thanks for the prodding............Bob Edited August 21, 2019 by Bhigdog (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Bhigdog said: You're correct, I know. I've been going unprotected (un backed up) for quite awhile. Heeding your advice there should be an external hard drive in tomorrows mail. Thanks for the prodding............Bob You're welcome & Thanks for listening. Sadly most people do not listen then ask me to perform a miraculous restore of their computer without a backup. Regarding Windows 7 End of Life: January 14, 2020 is the date you are looking for. Click here for more information about Windows 7 End of Life FYI, if you are looking for a top notch PC backup software solution take a look at Acronis True Image 2019 Backup Not cheap at around $50 but CHEAP insurance if you have a hard drive die or other issue. I have used this product for years on Windows XP, Windows 7 Professional and Windows 10 Professional. This software is different in that it backs up ALL the contents of your PC's hard drive (ie programs, files, photos and the Windows operating system you are running along with ALL it's settings). Over the years I have had a few PC hard drives die on me. This software made recovery as easy as replacing the hard drive, start the Acronis restore and come back in an hour or two and it's done. If you do look at this software BE SURE to get the PERPETUAL LICENSE which means the software is your FOREVER. They have another version of it that costs $49 per year, EVERY year (damn "subscription" crap, that I detest) Currently I use this software along with an external hard drive to backup my Win 10 Pro Notebook PC. Acronis has a "Cloud" option but I don't trust "Cloud" storage when it comes to keeping my data secure. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 22, 2019 Author Share Posted August 22, 2019 I,ll check it out. I really don,t have anything of great value on my pc but it would be a pita to have to start from scratch. I will at least do an external drive tomorrow.....bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Everybody has there own way of doing it. First of all, if the PC is 32 bit, I would definitely not be using that on the internet in this day and age, it's too leaky and there is a mountain of malware out there written to attack 32 bit systems. 64 bit systems are much more difficult to penetrate. To find out system type, click on the "Start" or Globe icon in the lower left and in the command box type "dxdiag". A menu will pop up and show all the specs on the PC. For back up, I just use another hard drive in the PC for storage labeled F. Then I use shortcuts on the desktop to access folders in that drive. Backing up the system occasionally is great if we remember to do it. I don't, I get lazy and over confident and it goes for months without a backup. By using shortcuts off the desktop and using the backup drive on a daily basis, everything I cannot afford to lose stays backed up current all the time. I store all of my pictures, video, documents, anything I don't want to lose and for added insurance, I back up some of it to a flash drive occasionally. I had a Samsung drive fail and I lost thousands of pictures and documents, learned that lesson the hard way. The back up is a 2 terabyte which is around 2000 Gig, plenty of space to store video. In the event the maindrive crashes, I would just have to reload the programs, but I still have all of the pictures and videos etc. Main drives for the Windows OS are solid state type and are very fast and reliable. -Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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