General Chat

Great information, Island.

I'll try to remember, just in case there is a second time!

Useful advice, Island! :-D

Sylvia, I had the same scam and couldn't get rid of it or do anything on my laptop. Phoned a friend who is an i.t. whizz - press and hold down the 'on' button for 30 seconds (aka improper shutdown) and it was gone. I guessed it was a scam but panicked a bit by my laptop being rendered unusable.

Florence ............... our guy said that Windows Security was fine, that I had no need to upgrade or get AVG again.

He loaded the free version of SpyBot for me as a back-up, that I could run if I wanted to every couple of months or so.

I'm always signed in on GR, GRO, FreeBMD, and many other sites. Family Search is the one that I have that only keeps you signed in for 2 weeks. As long as you are using your own computer, and not one accessible to others (such as in the library), that's OK.

Sylvia, I have just renewed with AVG for £39.99. It covers up to 10 devices so my mobile, my tablet, daughters devices too. I set mine to scan once a week to check for any viruses.

I do have windows security but often wondered it was enough?

I have an A5 book with all my sites I visit, emails and passwords as could never remember all of them. But once you visit a site, it usually gives you the option to stay signed for say 2 weeks or so doesnt it? occasionally i have to resign in to yahoo mail but not often.

Glad you got someone to sort it for you.

Florence in the hebrides

I turned on the computer this morning, checked my email then looked at a site for the local weather for the day. That also shows some newspaper and magazine pieces that Microsoft thinks interesting.

Clicked the weather and one article that caught my eye, then on a second one and ..................

Holy Moly

Windows Defender Security Centre

Threat Detected: Trojan Spyware

Access to this Computer has been blocked for security reasons

Contact Microsoft Support (phone number given)

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

I know enough not to click on any email or phone number on something like that no matter how much it scares me, but I couldn't delete it, and I couldn't access google because this thing blacked out the screen.

Called in our friendly Geek, but he couldn't come until after work.

so, no computer all day.

He came about 4:30 pm, took one look and said "Nope. It's a scam" and set about trying to get rid of it and to check whether I had any viruses.

He installed SpyBot, in addition to the Windows Security that I already have. Scanned the whole thing, and I finally got on around 7 pm, after dinner.

I've got a clean computer, but I do have to sign in on every site.

Good job I have a little book with all my sign-in information!

But what a palaver!