I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this so feel free to put it elsewear.  My computer was down all week end....it was "taken over". A notice popped up on my screen that my computer was infected, click here. I just closed it out. Then a larger message popped up and my whole screen was taken over by by something called anti virus pro. It says you have a serious threat and it starts to "scan" your computer. I clicked that off....well, then different pop ups come up about serious threats...do you want to continue unprotected...I clicked yes and then every time I tried to go anywhere on the net, it stopped me and threw up more pop ups and then the entrance to a porn site. I clicked that off but I still couldn't go anywhere; just getting the popups. We have good virus protection (McAffe) and Webroot spy sweeper and One of them found it ; tried to quarantine it but it couldn't. So Monday morning we called webroot for help and we found out that this is a scam from overseas to get your credit card number...If you had clicked on the antivirus pro it would have pretended to scan your machine and for a fee would remove it. Then they would have your credit or debit card number and clean out your account.  It is really an aggressive thing...Webroot told us they have been dealing with it...it changes names frequently. Anyway they had to go into our machine and "find" it (it hides in different folders each time) and remove everything they had put on the machine (About 4 hours later, my machine was malwear free..I'm glad I wasn't paying by the hour! Webroot has a one time fee for this kind of thing). Anyway I just wanted to give a heads up...I don't think I am the ony one this has or will happen to.

I am so glad someone else is talking about this, I am in the library now using the computer because mine has been out of commission off and on for the last six months. 

1.  I had Norton
2.  My apartment complex has free internet that works when it is ready
3.  I purchased my own internet and used their aniti virus program
4.  No matter what I do, I get the 'blue screen errors'
5.  I bought a used computer for $52 just to see if it was my computer, the same things happens to the used computer
6.  I am at my wits end as to what to do, my church picks up my computer every time it crashes and fixes it (I am beginning to feel so STUPID), I can't enter as many sweepstakes either

                                              HELP ANYBODY, I AM DESPERATE!!!

About every 6 months I have to give this lecture here.  (and daily to the people whose computers I have to clean up)
  
If you don't go to questionable sites you won't get annoying infections!   Sorta like patronizing a cathouse....you're gonna get a nasty case of the clap.

I have been on-line now for 10+ years and have NEVER had any problems.      Why?

• I use Adaware, Spybot, and Avast Antivirus (All 3 are FREE and Nag-free) ... and nothing else!!!!!!!
• I don't go to flaky sites
• I update my protection proggies on a DAILY basis
• I don't try out "unknown" programs that are featured in ads or banners
• ... in fact I don't click through on ANY ad or boxed link!

1. One doesn't need to pay for an antivirus program anymore.  It used to be that for good protection one had to have Norton, but that isn't true anymore. Avast is the best of all on the freeware market today (and it updates itself). Adaware runs in real time. Spybot provides an excellent blacklist which should be updated and enabled at all times.  Is that so tough???
2. To stay safe one doesn't go to unsafe places .... no matter what they say you can win ... that's like taking a walk in Miami at midnight ...don't blame me if you get mugged.
3. Free or not:  a protection program is NO GOOD if you don't update it on a daily basis.  If you don't feed the goldfish it dies.
4. Fortune won't smile on you if you dork around with 'click-to-use' programs via ads.  Even the best sites don't care what is advertised on their site as long as they get paid! Usuallyas long as it's not porn.  (if you see porn ads IT IS A DANGEROUS SITE!  Run like the wind!)
5. I've made this my golden rule...nothing to do with supporting a site or not or not liking a product...one just doesn't know where that link is going to take you! Go to an flaky online casino via an ad and I can pretty much guarantee you that you will be the proud parent of a bouncing baby drive-by download!

That Anti-Virus Pro is a prime example of this ... you use their "free online service" (under a variety of names) to check for spyware/malware ... and guess what????  YOU GET SPYWARE/MALWARE!!!!

And the best part: you gave it the permission to do it!!!!!  DUH!!!~!!  (it being a credit card scam is a new one on me, never heard that one before)