I just went for a quick poo, leaving Chrome and this forum open, only to find when I returned what appeared to be an advert from CCleaner.
It stated “You are now running the latest version of CCleaner”.
I certainly hadn’t opened it, neither had I updated it.
More importantly, I couldn’t close the image either by clicking the cross or right-clicking the box on the taskbar. Nothing would close it.
The only way I could close it was to close the computer and then re-start it.
No, I don’t use Piriform or Avast (spit). Sounds like a typical Avast ‘marketing’ ploy.
I’ve just checked and found 21 entries for Avast on my system, including 3 in the Recycle bin and several under ‘manifest’ (don’t know what that means!).
Obviously, the rubbish gets everywhere. No wonder I avoid it like the plague.
I think that is fairly sick - some people HAVE had such things happen to them, and Go Fund me has helped enormously. To fake a terrible thing like that just to get money is beyond disgusting. But then again…I worked with someone who faked cancer so seems no holds barred. Its a sad world.
We get calls purporting to come from our bank saying that my debit card has been used by someone else, which is of course a lie. I check all our bank accounts daily.
I also get calls purporting to come from BT saying they are going to close down our service, another lie.
I keep blocking the calls, but then they use a similar but different number.
It, sometimes, helps to do a Google type search on the telephone number of the caller.
There are sites willing to grade the numbers into “likely scams” and possible “proper callers”.
You give them nothing but the incoming number (that you searched on) and they will add that number to the “likely scammer” box, if you see what I mean!
A lot of people must fall for the tricks, otherwise the scammers would stop doing it?
I try never to pick up the phone if I don’t recognise the number displayed (or my phone doesn’t).
If I feel I have to pick it I never speak to the caller first. i.e. let him tell you who he thinks you are.
(sometimes you get a call, from an asian lady, which, after some translation problems, turns out to be an appointment for a Vaccine jab - the NHS, and some others, need to think that through!)
Hi this is my new answering service; it uses telepathy to read your mind. At the BEEP think about your name, then your number, then think about your reason for calling… and I will think about calling you back.
“Would you like some help with that sir…can I just ask you for permission to remotely control it from my end?” (I just watched a youtube video of a scammer doing that on someone’s computer)
Another scam! I received an email telling me that my car tax is overdue because the direct debit wasn’t being honoured by my bank after two attempts. They wanted me to follow a link to pay it or else I would be fined up to £800 for not taxing my car.
I don’t pay my car tax by direct debit so knew straightaway that it was a scam but it’s not one I’ve seen before so thought I would warn others about it.
