"Gotcha" got me
 

OOOOOOOOOOH, I am fuming this morning. The "geeks" got me this morning--or at least tried to hit our credit card.

DH just called me from the bank asking if I had bought anything from the UK lately. THEY tried to hit our credit card for a big amount, and because it is protected some way, their purchase was refused, but our bank let us know that they had attempted it.

And I know that it is my fault. Lately, I have been getting warnings that "your computer is slow" "add our free program and upload so and so" and since it said free, I did it.

WRONG. In two days my computer screen is inundated with "programs you need to load to clean up your computer", still free. And yesterday, the note "hurry, let me load such and such for $21.95"--and my temper went through the roof. I KNEW IT, and immediately called my SIL to come over here and get rid of all this junk. Now he's mad at me.

And I can't even get my computer to open up without all that junk warning me, and I need this, and I need that, and saying that it is free......take my advice and don't fall for it.

Try uploading mozilla firefox if you don't already use that with ad block. You can also go into your add/remove programs and delete the pests that way.

yes, go into add/remove programs and delete any that were added in the last few days. Hopefully that will work, but it may not and you will have to take it to an expert.

Let this be a warning to EVERYONE - do NOT click on any popups, even to close them. Go in to Task Manager and close them from there.

No one is giving away anything good for free on the internet.

I never, ever download anything to my computer that just pops up and says free. Lesson learned.

So sorry this happened to you. Thanks for sharing your experience as a warning to others. Good luck with getting rid of this!

Thanks for the heads up. Hopeful your SIL has cleaned it up.

You can also do a 'Restore' to before you up loaded the ''free'' headaches. I 'd go back a couple of weeks and then go to the add/delete programs to make sure they are all gone. My son has Avast on my computer and they do have a free download and even if you buy the program it is very reasonable. It has kept bugs and viruses away from me. Also have Mozilla FireFox which is also a free download. My son and DIL make their living fixing computers so they know what is and isn't harmful.

I use Chrome and never get pop ups. If a website is questionable, I get a warning before being directed to the site.

I doubt the free program gathered your credit info unless you entered it as a requirement to get it free. If you do have to fill out a form use fake info. Why do so many think they have to use real info when registering for something online?

I, too, doubt the scam on your computer was connected to the scam on your credit card. Unfortunately, you just got hit on two sides at the same time!

[QUOTE=Onebyone;6892350]I use Chrome and never get pop ups. If a website is questionable, I get a warning before being directed to the site.

Nice thing about a Mac, if you try to go to a questionable site, you get a warning that the site is suspect, all you do is click the "get me out of here" button.

I got a terrible virus as well. for the second time in 3 months, i only use QB, and ebay and couple of other quilt forums... what am i doing wrong????

My next computer will be a Mac. I have an I-Pad and love it. Seldom ever use the HP anymore.

Be CAREFUL with Firefox!!!! when you install it you will get an "I agree" text box ... CAREFUL ... a LOT of those "I agree" text boxes are NOT for the Firefox program itself but for other "free" software like "clean PC" and the such.

READ the "I agree" banner to see what program it is wanting you to agree to. There is an opt-out button at the bottom.

I don't trust or use Firefox anymore.

I have PC with Windows but rarely use it. I have to have it for my embroidery programs. I print things with it and rarely go on the web with it. Have had tons of trouble with "viruses, crashes, blue screens, etc.," over the years with PCs. I am tech savvy and have fixed computers and run IT things, so I understand them and how they work. Hackers are getting smarter all the time. I heard that all the virus programs are written by programmers overseas. The only one written in the US, supposedly, is PC Matic...

I have a MacBook that I have had for almost 8 years and use it to surf the web and have never had a problem with it. I generally use it daily.

Would your SIL like to work on mine too? I've been having the same problem and can't seem to get the IT guys at the office to fix it for me.