Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Virus Scam popup

2»

Comments

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,348
    filmoret said:
    Quizzical said:
    Admin said:
    Anyone that sees this on or after Oct 21 let me know.  For now I have all ad networks disabled for IOS and Android.  Only our house-served ads should get through, and they don't have this garbage...this crap only bleeds in from shady ad networks and the moment we detect a network doing this we shut them off and never use them again.
    I had the browser window behind some others for an hour or so, with three tabs open to various pages on the forum.  When I switched back, two pages had been auto-forwarded away to other sites.  I clicked back on both of them, and within a few minutes, they had been forwarded again.  The links to which they are forwarded (broken up so as not to turn into a forum link that someone could follow) are:

    http : // www . reimageplus . com/lp/rgn/index.php

    http : // download . driversupport . com/lp/asy/altlp2

    Both had a bunch of junk after them that I've removed for fear that it could be personally identifying.

    I'm running Windows 7 on this computer, not Android or iOS.  And this just happened.
    I wonder why its not doing it to me.  You sure you don't got a virus or something?  I'm using google chrome and IE.
    Most times I load a page on this site it doesn't auto-forward me away.  So if you loaded several tabs and none had an auto-forward, I wouldn't regard that as inconsistent with what I'm seeing.

    But if it's a virus on my end, why do I recently only get forwarded away from mmorpg.com, and not other sites that I visit?  There have been times that I've had an auto-forwarding issue from other sites over the course of the last however many months or years, which generally results in my blocking ads on that site.  I've never had a problem with it on sites that I ad-block.
  • filmoretfilmoret Member EpicPosts: 4,906
    Ah there it goes.  Happened to me.
    Are you onto something or just on something?
  • anemoanemo Member RarePosts: 1,903
    edited October 2016
    Just got an annoying auto forwarding AD for IPZFlash/IPFlash or something similar, completely ripping me off the page.   Of course it was pretending to be an Update Flash malware junk thing.

    Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent.

    "At one point technology meant making tech that could get to the moon, now it means making tech that could get you a taxi."

  • filmoretfilmoret Member EpicPosts: 4,906
    I found this odd but for some reason Chrome is blocking flash player on this website.
    Are you onto something or just on something?
  • AbimorAbimor Member RarePosts: 874
    Well I am glad they are looking into it.
  • waynejr2waynejr2 Member EpicPosts: 7,769
    filmoret said:
    I found this odd but for some reason Chrome is blocking flash player on this website.

    AH, I haven't seen this new development and I am running flashblock.  xp firefox.  Yes, on a vm.
    http://www.youhaventlived.com/qblog/2010/QBlog190810A.html  

    Epic Music:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1

    https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1

    Kyleran:  "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."

    John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."

    FreddyNoNose:  "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."

    LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"




  • GruntyGrunty Member EpicPosts: 8,657
    I haven't had any issues with this site but that may be related to my spending more time playing games than haunting these forums.
    "I used to think the worst thing in life was to be all alone.  It's not.  The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone."  Robin Williams
  • Octagon7711Octagon7711 Member LegendaryPosts: 9,000
    So far haven't had any problems with this site on desktop or cell.  But I do partial ad blocking on both.  I've had popups like those when I go to questionable sites, but I always access through a virtual shell in which I can just kill all running programs which does the job.  

    "We all do the best we can based on life experience, point of view, and our ability to believe in ourselves." - Naropa      "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."  SR Covey

  • MeddleMeddle Administrator UncommonPosts: 758
    Alright I guess we haven't squashed this one yet.  Do you happen to remember what ads were on the page at the time you were forwarded @Stizzled?

    - MMORPG.COM Staff -

  • MeddleMeddle Administrator UncommonPosts: 758
    Also was that on the new discussion post page or using the editor at the bottom of the posts page?

    - MMORPG.COM Staff -

  • waynejr2waynejr2 Member EpicPosts: 7,769
    Grunty said:
    I haven't had any issues with this site but that may be related to my spending more time playing games than haunting these forums.

    The good folks at mmorpg.com didn't take all the time and effort to create this site just so you can play video games.  :D   haha
    http://www.youhaventlived.com/qblog/2010/QBlog190810A.html  

    Epic Music:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAigCvelkhQ&list=PLo9FRw1AkDuQLEz7Gvvaz3ideB2NpFtT1

    https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos?&sort=-downloads&page=1

    Kyleran:  "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."

    John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."

    FreddyNoNose:  "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."

    LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"




  • AdminAdmin Administrator RarePosts: 5,623
    Ok, we have brought all of our network ads that we use for unsold inventory down to just one network.  If people still see this at least we now know what the source likely is.  

    - MMORPG.COM Staff -

    The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.

  • GruntyGrunty Member EpicPosts: 8,657
    edited October 2016
    Stizzled said:
    I believe one may have been an AT&T ad, not sure about any others. My work causes me to go to so many websites on this browser that I see a lot of different ads, most not related to gaming in any way. It's hard to recognize or remember any certain one.

    Also, I was in a hurry to post about it after the fact. I finished my post after returning to the site and quickly came to this thread to post, apologies.
    I got that AT&T survey a couple of days ago but I thought the culprit was from a uhhh... Well, another site.  I was also not redirected. Another chrome window was opened.  I don't remember if I used the editor any time that session.
    "I used to think the worst thing in life was to be all alone.  It's not.  The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone."  Robin Williams
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,348
    Grunty said:
    Stizzled said:
    I believe one may have been an AT&T ad, not sure about any others. My work causes me to go to so many websites on this browser that I see a lot of different ads, most not related to gaming in any way. It's hard to recognize or remember any certain one.

    Also, I was in a hurry to post about it after the fact. I finished my post after returning to the site and quickly came to this thread to post, apologies.
    I got that AT&T survey a couple of days ago but I thought the culprit was from a uhhh... Well, another site.  I was also not redirected. Another chrome window was opened.  I don't remember if I used the editor any time that session.
    I don't think that ad has anything to do with AT&T, as I've seen something analogous for a different ISP.  I think that what it does it to detect your ISP and fill in your ISP's name in the "please take our survey" page.
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,348
    edited October 2016
    Admin said:
    Ok, we have brought all of our network ads that we use for unsold inventory down to just one network.  If people still see this at least we now know what the source likely is.  
    How many ad networks do you use, anyway?

    I haven't been auto-forwarded since you made that post, with maybe 50 or so page loads left up for at least several minutes to see if they'd auto-forward.  But now that I look at the ads, they're nearly all for MMORPGs and presumably from your own in-house ads.
  • VanesseVanesse Member CommonPosts: 2
    Is there a script virus? I'm puzzling.

  • BurntvetBurntvet Member RarePosts: 3,465
    LupusVai said:
    .php?brand=Samsung&model=Galaxy%20Tab%20S%2010.5#b  . This was the redirect that just happened to me. Without even clicking on anything.  It's happened before several weeks ago.  I assume it's sponsored by the site as paid for advertising. This is why I will not turn off any of my ad block software when I visit this site on my PC. As I do not like hijacking adverts. Banner ads fine I can accept but when a site is pushing this kind of crap and pop ups..No way!
    Exactly correct.

    Adblock + Noscript.

  • AbimorAbimor Member RarePosts: 874
    just got redirected from the homepage to a fire fox urgent update site
  • DreadToothDreadTooth Member UncommonPosts: 150

    In case someone isn't aware of how virus, hijack (lockout for money), or Trojan ads work:

    If there is a paid cycling ad, where the ads change for each time the page is loaded, there is a decent chance that a handful of those paid ads out of the unknown (thousands? millions?) amount of ads being cycled from the ad company, will contain code to redirect to the unsafe website or even insert code from the ad itself to create or download scare software.

    The problem with this, and the reason it is preferred by the scammers, is that it makes it nearly impossible to track which ad caused the issue, since if you do manage to return to the original page the ad was displayed on that ad will no doubt be gone and a new, probably safe, ad will be in its place.

    The ads themselves can run on a timer before the ill-intent occurs. This is why it makes it even harder to find just by leaving your browser open on a number of pages, when added with the fact you first would need to have the unsafe ad on your page to begin with and the odds of that are slim since there are so many ads cycling through from the ad company.

    The reason phones and tablets see this occur sooner when loading a page rather than having to leave the website up for an unknown amount of time (usually minutes for pc) is because that is how the mobile ads are designed, their timers are either immediate or less than a minute until the ill-intent occurs.

    They can redirect your browser, open a popup or stealth download software.

    If you are lucky, your pc or more commonly your phone/tablet won't be infected. If you are unlucky, you could be infected with any form of virus, spyware or malware. If you are REALLY unlucky, your pc or phone/tablet will be locked with a screen indicated how much money they want to unlock your device and how to pay it, as well as a timer indicating how long you have until all of your documents will be permanently deleted or your device itself will be left unusable and/or non-repairable.

    If people are seeing this, what are the odds they are all using the same ad-blocker for that software to be the culprit? It is more likely the culprit are ads being cycled into the website. This shouldn't be dismissed, it should be reported to the ad company.

    Currently Playing:

    Fallout 4 (Xbox One)

    Puzzle Pirates (PC)
    Dreadtooth on Emerald Ocean

    "Dying's the easy way out. You won't catch me dying. They'll have to kill me before I die!"

  • filmoretfilmoret Member EpicPosts: 4,906

    In case someone isn't aware of how virus, hijack (lockout for money), or Trojan ads work:

    If there is a paid cycling ad, where the ads change for each time the page is loaded, there is a decent chance that a handful of those paid ads out of the unknown (thousands? millions?) amount of ads being cycled from the ad company, will contain code to redirect to the unsafe website or even insert code from the ad itself to create or download scare software.

    The problem with this, and the reason it is preferred by the scammers, is that it makes it nearly impossible to track which ad caused the issue, since if you do manage to return to the original page the ad was displayed on that ad will no doubt be gone and a new, probably safe, ad will be in its place.

    The ads themselves can run on a timer before the ill-intent occurs. This is why it makes it even harder to find just by leaving your browser open on a number of pages, when added with the fact you first would need to have the unsafe ad on your page to begin with and the odds of that are slim since there are so many ads cycling through from the ad company.

    The reason phones and tablets see this occur sooner when loading a page rather than having to leave the website up for an unknown amount of time (usually minutes for pc) is because that is how the mobile ads are designed, their timers are either immediate or less than a minute until the ill-intent occurs.

    They can redirect your browser, open a popup or stealth download software.

    If you are lucky, your pc or more commonly your phone/tablet won't be infected. If you are unlucky, you could be infected with any form of virus, spyware or malware. If you are REALLY unlucky, your pc or phone/tablet will be locked with a screen indicated how much money they want to unlock your device and how to pay it, as well as a timer indicating how long you have until all of your documents will be permanently deleted or your device itself will be left unusable and/or non-repairable.

    If people are seeing this, what are the odds they are all using the same ad-blocker for that software to be the culprit? It is more likely the culprit are ads being cycled into the website. This shouldn't be dismissed, it should be reported to the ad company.

    I think its a bunch of hoopla.  Its like one of them conspiracy theories that everyone believes but noone actually experiences.  20 years on the internet myself and I have never used antivirus or adblocker.  My information is currently safe and I have never had a serious issue.
    Are you onto something or just on something?
  • nhatnhat Member UncommonPosts: 166
    edited December 2016
    I was going to make a topic about this until I saw this. I thought it might be my tablet (running android 6.0 nvidia tablet) so I got a new one (original got cracked screen) and same thing was happening to me on this site. It's only this site too. I really like mmorpg but I'm hesitant to visit this site lately because I get redirects to pop up ads here
  • VanesseVanesse Member CommonPosts: 2
    My PC is running with Windows 7 but there is no such problem when browsing this forum.
  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    edited December 2016
    Those sites are not the culprits,they are simply the redirects.Trying to make SOME sense of it all,i would assume it all depends on what the scrip likely doubleclick is trying to redirect you to which will be different for every user and why some run into problems and some don't.

    The culprit using my best judgement is Doubleclick which has LONG time been a very annoying...cookie/tracker/beacon.I assume it is a problem because of the way it is scripted to run on this site.
    Doublelick is owned/run by Google which all of it's attack arsenal of cookies/trackers/beacons are used on pretty much every site.DBLclick is a redirect script...go figure people are having redirect problems.

    For those naive or those that just don't know,adblockers are NOT the total answer and why even those people will run into problems.
    I again since i don't follow every move this site makes,but i can assume it started with them running AD-RECOVER which is a script "intended" to be fair to both user and site.However it is not setup as intended but instead setup to be GREEDY and a no care for user input.

    Ad-Recover is meant to ask the user to opt in or out of ads,to let the site know which ads it does not like or like but of course it is not working as intended.It is meant to allow sites to monetize users using adblockers ; ;

    And....there is a quick rundown on what is happening here on this site.Guess what,they KNOW 100% they started using Ad-recover they also know they use Doubleclick "redirect",so to "pretend" it was some out of the blue mobile problem is really a slap in the face to users here....NOT nice.


    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    Boomtrain is another that tries to pass on advertising via web,mobile and emails.They are also in the works of being even more intrusive,so full out exploitation BEHIND USERS backs,without any notification at all.

    There is a good reason why Germany has stepped up and made a lot of this illegal and other countries are moving in that direction as well.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

Sign In or Register to comment.