can you believe this phishing

[jcarter]

 This popped up on a legitimate weather site.
Ive searched for any of this, and there is totally nothing on his computer at all what you have warned about.

And he would never ever visit a site for free apps nor fake updates. Nothing at all in his app folder.
Just this one weather site, is where it popped up on.
I see that he is not the only one who got this, and on a different site.

I took that weather site off his computer just to make sure.
And Ive been to that site on 3 of my computers and nothing happened.

[Paddy]

I apparently didn't press "Post" earlier today - but in addition to Jim's post, here's a bit more info on what to look for and where.

-------------

Ignoring (ENTIRELY) the advice to download the "Combo Cleaner" - this writeup does actually go through how to check to make sure that you don't have any malware lurking. It's a good primer on where to check for ANY of these little nasties - some of which ride along on seemingly legit software. There was a time when updates for Java had some of this, unless you noticed and UNCHECKED the checkbox in the install sequence. (Don't get me started on Oracle and their games...)

https://www.pcrisk.com/removal-guides/12895-your-mac-is-infected-with-3-viruses-pop-up-scam-mac

Just don't download the combo cleaner.

[jcarter]

Thank you for this good explanation! 
I will go thru this again on his computer, just to make sure that nothing got by me.
Yes, I totally agree, we would NEVER click on anything like this. Remember the MacCleaner or such, that people fell for? That was another one. We never saw it, but know people who fell for it.

Since it was only from this weather site, Im wondering how it got there. I know about re-direct coding in my web classes.
This certainly is interesting, I learn a lot from you all here.

[jcarter]

Using the combo cleaner now, and its scanning. Looking thru the removal guides carefully, this is a nice site, explains it well.
Got rid of a few things, but none of them were listed as bad. But trashed them anyway.

Its clean! "No Threats"

Thank you for this site, it sure works.
What ever this odd phishing things which pop up on that weather site, will be just ignored, as before.

You all are wonderful!

[Highmac]

I read that article, Paddy - very informative, but I did heed your warnings... 

When I read it, on my rather old iPad, I was amused to see this little advert at the side.



Strange thing is that in Firefox on the MBP (High Sierra) it is correct!

[Xairbusdriver]

Strange thing is that in Firefox on the MBP (High Sierra) it is correct!

[Paddy]

Methinks Neil meant that the message about the anti-virus virus correctly identified the MacBook Pro and Firefox as the device being used to view the website, but on the iPad seemed to think it was looking at a Windows device. (Yes, I was confused at first too!)

 

[Highmac]

Thank you Paddy, spot on!
I've been told I'm sometimes adept at sowing confusion... 

[Xairbusdriver]

WARNING: Off topic text approaching!
Speaking of fishing... and towing...
I've spent hours watching a series of VLOGs by a young(ish) chap in England who sold his house and bought a canal boat. While you can fish on the canal waters (with or without a boat), you must throw all native species back. Non-native must be thrown much further back, as in behind the fisherman.

I've been trying to get my bride to accompany me on a month long canal journey for over 35 years. Now I see that it can be done solo! Unfortunately, she still won't let me sell our house... I'll have to make do with these virtual experiences...

We now return to the originally scheduled topic!

I hope I haven't caused any confusion by miss-reading your mention sewing.

[Xairbusdriver]

Been rather dull lately with SCAMming. Just had Comcast connections go down for a few minutes and then I found this in my email:

I have infected your device 8 months ago with a trojan virus that uses your camera to record you.
...
My virus has also captured your contact list and friend list on social media. I now know all your friends, co-workers and family.

I will email everyone you know a copy of these camera recordings of everytime[sic] you are naked infront[sic] of your device [deleted]. I will make sure your friends, co-workers and family and everyone on the internet sees your dirty deeds. The video i[sic] will post will show what you are doing. You will be exposed.

If you don't want me to expose you, you will pay me $ 750 to make all these video recordings go away and you’ll pay me in Bitcoins.
...
You will have exactly 72 hours to make this payment in full.
If i'm[sic] not paid, I will start getting the OS video recordings ready and then send to all your contacts and also all of your friends and co-workers. I'm sure they will like to know something about you which you thought was hidden. Believe me, no one will tell you about anything they get to know about you, but the stigma will live with you forever amongst that group of people.
...
Have this at the back of your mind.
I'm tracking a special link i[sic] coded into the header of this message. I will know exactly when you read this.
THIS IS A NON NEGOTIABLE OFFER!

I will be reasonable and give you 3 hours to sitdown and think about this; then your time starts.

Obviously done while the web was down! He must have control all our base! Anyway, my wife is out of the country right now, so I don't have access to any money. She keeps out bitcoins in a secret place and refuses to tell me!!! So, if I 'disappear' by the end-o-the-week, you'll no that I've been wiped off the interweb!!! Hope you enjoy the vids of me!!!

I gotta go get some thicker tape for my computer camera!!!

[Xairbusdriver]

As long as I've mentioned "security", here's another take from NameCheap.

[jcarter]

That sure is interesting and scary.
We have no smart devices in our house, our TV is antique, no roumba, no smart thermostats, nor other things mentioned there. I do have cameras, but only one is on the web, and its pointed at our dog's bed, and Ive disabled the sound.
All other cameras are either trail or not web connected, to look at wildlife.
No Alexa or any of those things either.
However my truck has a smart GPS and I have it track where we have been and what the tire pressure is and that sort of stuff.

Never had any of these things pop up on my old Macs.

Thank you for posting this link!
My husband is taking a course in this, its called "Surveillance, Data gathering, and privacy" or something like that. It too is very scary.
But my friends in law enforcement really need some of this stuff for solving crimes, and they sure do get some real help.

I have a great long story about a software disabled Tesla, which my grandson was able to get into on his iPhone for the owner of the car and get it running again.

[Paddy]

I have a great long story about a software disabled Tesla, which my grandson was able to get into on his iPhone for the owner of the car and get it running again.

Do share, Jane...we have a Model 3. Software glitches are not something I'd want to have to deal with, though we've had a couple of minor ones where the screen went black once or twice. Came back when we pulled over and did a reset. Reminded me of the Microsoft car joke - only we didn't have to get out and change positions!

[jcarter]

I will make it short,,,,,,,A man was charging his Tesla across the street from our local Mac store(which went out of business recently). My grandson loves Teslas, and stopped to talk with him and admire the car. When we came out of the store(about an hour), the guy was distraught, and his phone, wallet, and stuff was all inside the car, and it would not unlock when he took the charger thing out.
So we got everybody in our car and headed for www.whoi.edu where his wife worked to get her key-card.
Half way there, Max was able to get into the software for Glen's Tesla with his iPhone! We spun around and headed back to the car, and everything was fine. Im not sure of how this was done, but Max could explain it better than I could. Then they got on the phone with Tesla later on at the high school, and it was a software glitch. Glen let Max drive it all around the sports complex at the school, as he didn't have his drivers license yet. Now he is begging me for a Tesla, but I said, gotta get into college first, and graduate. He is the captain of the school tennis team, so gets a few extra perks, but not a car,,,,,,yet,,,,,,,. He is a very fun kid, Im looking at a used Ford pickup for him,,,,,,,

[Paddy]

He no doubt downloaded the Tesla app onto his phone, was able to sign in using the guy's credentials, and then essentially his phone could be paired to work with the Tesla just like the owners' does.

Did the owner's phone die? Or was it truly a glitch? The only way my Tesla locks is if the iPhone is outside the car - otherwise it won't. (And yes, a couple of times I've forgotten that my phone was charging in the car and walked away, expecting it to lock etc. and then later realized that the phone isn't in my purse, but in the car, and therefore anyone could have driven off with it!! I now listen for the toot of the horn to indicate it's locked before I walk too far away! The other problem is that the Tesla trains me to forget to actually LOCK our Toyota van - and a whole bunch of other things that the Tesla does automagically which a 15-year-old ICE car doesn't!)