McAfee virus scam

REignbow · 2022-06-13T16:05:30+00:00

For the last two weeks, when I’m reading a thread. I will get an alert from McAfee saying I have a virus. l Use a tablet and this doesn’t occur on any other website etc that I look at. I have signed out of MN and changed my password but it is still happening. Has MN been hacked?

saltinesandcoffeecups · 21/06/2022 23:37

@KatyMumsnet For the future, (And sanity of those looking for help) If you look at the drop down I marked up in one of my screenshots. You will see the history for the browser tab that I was actively on. It shows the thread address + those of the spam in the same tab. Ignore the other tabs… as I’ve said I routinely open new threads into separate tabs to read.

So far I think I’ve gone 2 days without the scammy ad, so I think it’s safe to say you adding the offending website to the blocked list worked. Maybe check with @REignbow whose thread I so rudely took over. Sorry Reignbow!

Thank you Katymumsnet for sticking with me … I don’t think it was easy on either of us, but we got there in the end 😁

MNHQ

KatyMumsnet · 21/06/2022 14:12

We do understand the issue and as I said before we’re doing everything we can on our side to locate and block this from happening.

There is a new tab that has opened in your screenshot, so we're just covering all bases by asking you to check on your side in case there is anything else that is causing these pop-ups to continue. If you've run those checks then you can rule that out.

It's good that the frequency has decreased hopefully that means the measures we've put in place are working!

saltinesandcoffeecups · 21/06/2022 13:23

@KatyMumsnet are you talking about the several tabs that are open in the screenshot? If you are I’ve clearly explained multiple times those weren’t opened by the scam ad. I opened them and they each contained a different thread that I was reading/bookmarking. If you look at the one with the history you can clearly see that on the same tab the ad took over.

Have you or your IT help never used safari on an IPad? I do appreciate you trying to fix this problem. But you’ll forgive me if I’m concerned that you are not understanding the symptoms that I have clearly spelled out.

I am not accidentally clicking an ad
the ad is overtaking the tab I am browsing.
the ad is not opening a new tab
i have cleared my history and cache
the ad is still not opening a new tab
the ad is a pop up in the same tab
this is the only site that this is happening on.

Now I can say that the frequency of the ad has decreased over the past few days, but has not been eliminated

MNHQ

KatyMumsnet · 21/06/2022 09:08

I can see in the screenshots that there are pop-ups and a new tab opening, apologies for not being clearer in my previous message. There are two possibilities - one is that it is a pop-up originating from Mumsnet and the other is that you've clicked on something that has installed malicious software on your device.

We’re doing everything we can on our side to locate and block this from our side. We have set up targeted and manual scanning to catch the issue. We have also added the malicious domain window-safe[.]com to our global block list. We will update you as soon as we know more.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 21/06/2022 00:52

KatyMumsnet · 20/06/2022 09:51

Hi, apologies for the delayed response.

We've done everything we can to prevent it from ever popping up on Mumsnet and it has been flagged to our external security provider as the screenshots on this thread do show another tab has opened.

You may have accidentally clicked on something that has installed malicious software on your device which is causing the advert to keep popping up while you are browsing.

You should run a malware check to see if your device has any malicious software installed on it - https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download

Also, check your browser to see if you have any suspicious plugins and remove them, here are some instructions:

Open Settings and select Safari.
Scroll down and tap on Extensions.
Choose the extension you would like to disable.
Tap the toggle next to it to disable the extension. Repeat for every extension you'd like to turn off.

We'd also suggest closing down all your tabs and clearing your browser cookies and cache, there are instructions in this article on how to do this - https://browserhow.com/how-to-clear-history-cookies-and-cache-from-safari-ios-ipados/

I’m really not sure what is missing in translation.

New tabs are not popping up!

The scammy pop up is happening in the same tab.

I have cleared my cache… there are no extensions running… this is only happening on your site. It is Mumsnet and mumsnet only that is causing this. Not me, not my browser, not my iPad,

MNHQ

KatyMumsnet · 20/06/2022 09:51

Hi, apologies for the delayed response.

We've done everything we can to prevent it from ever popping up on Mumsnet and it has been flagged to our external security provider as the screenshots on this thread do show another tab has opened.

You may have accidentally clicked on something that has installed malicious software on your device which is causing the advert to keep popping up while you are browsing.

You should run a malware check to see if your device has any malicious software installed on it - https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download

Also, check your browser to see if you have any suspicious plugins and remove them, here are some instructions:

Open Settings and select Safari.
Scroll down and tap on Extensions.
Choose the extension you would like to disable.
Tap the toggle next to it to disable the extension. Repeat for every extension you'd like to turn off.

We'd also suggest closing down all your tabs and clearing your browser cookies and cache, there are instructions in this article on how to do this - https://browserhow.com/how-to-clear-history-cookies-and-cache-from-safari-ios-ipados/

saltinesandcoffeecups · 18/06/2022 23:04

In case anyone still cares , it’s still happening

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/06/2022 19:28

Lol.. was typing a response that the add had popped up while I wandered away… sadly that post was eaten when the popup came up and ate my post in progress

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/06/2022 19:16

KatyMumsnet · 15/06/2022 16:43

Hi, thanks for the extra information we're just trying to be sure about what exactly is happening so we know which route to take to prevent it.

We have blocks in place against auto pop-ups but since a new tab is opening we have asked our security provider to investigate. In the meantime, we have added window-safe.com to our global blocklist so that we can track if they are coming through via ads.

I think you are missing the important pieces of information. A new tab is NOT opening. It is NOT happening after clicking an ad.

it IS an auto pop-up.

MNHQ

KatyMumsnet · 15/06/2022 16:43

Hi, thanks for the extra information we're just trying to be sure about what exactly is happening so we know which route to take to prevent it.

We have blocks in place against auto pop-ups but since a new tab is opening we have asked our security provider to investigate. In the meantime, we have added window-safe.com to our global blocklist so that we can track if they are coming through via ads.

Original poster

REignbow · 15/06/2022 14:16

I didn’t click on an ad either. This appeared on the same tab as the my mums net tab.

OP posts:

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/06/2022 12:17

KatyMumsnet · 15/06/2022 10:27

Hi, in the screenshots it looks like this has opened up in a new tab rather than popping up on Mumsnet - is this what happens or is that because you've clicked on a pop-up that appeared on Mumsnet?

We need to understand what exactly is happening to figure out what's happening here so will appreciate any more information you can give. Thanks!

No this it is not me clicking on an ad 😒 See my second screenshot that shows the ‘back’ history to see the ad is on the same tab as the Mumsnet page. (I generally open a new tab to browse a thread vs. opening a thread in the same tab). This started when you went to the new platform.

Pixiedust1234 · 15/06/2022 11:27

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/06/2022 02:09

Of course they are not real. From the website you linked “You might also see fake pop-ups that look like McAfee pop-ups when you visit certain websites. These pop-ups are not push notifications as described above. They're simply pop-ups that the website displays when you browse to it.”

That would be sound advice to do a proper scan if I were on a PC. I’m on an IPad, so no scans here. Mumsnet just needs to stop their scammy ads. This is the only site that I get it on.

Show quote history

You can still do a proper scan on an ipad, same as on a phone. Its not just PCs that need it, anything that links to the Internet will need it at some point. I linked to the website too as mcafee gave advice on what to do if you get them. I only did the screenshot to prove that it looks exactly like the pp above yet mcafee says its fake. Up to you what you do with this information

MNHQ

KatyMumsnet · 15/06/2022 10:27

Hi, in the screenshots it looks like this has opened up in a new tab rather than popping up on Mumsnet - is this what happens or is that because you've clicked on a pop-up that appeared on Mumsnet?

We need to understand what exactly is happening to figure out what's happening here so will appreciate any more information you can give. Thanks!

Original poster

REignbow · 15/06/2022 04:52

OP here.

and here is the screen shot (like the others which has been posted).

OP posts:

Monty27 · 15/06/2022 03:25

Stichintime · 14/06/2022 02:16

I love the way MN has a whole army behind the scenes, on stand by, just waiting for an opportunity to 'take a look'.

Exactly. I think MN needs to get some staff.

BertieBotts · 15/06/2022 03:20

It's the shitty ad platform that lets through a load of predatory ads. Use an adblocker and you don't see it any more.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/06/2022 02:56

And another one

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/06/2022 02:32

Just got another one… I’m going stop taking screenshots

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/06/2022 02:09

Pixiedust1234 · 15/06/2022 00:53

Please run a proper scan. According to mcafee that is a fake popup.

service.mcafee.com/?locale=en-US&articleId=TS102999&page=shell&shell=article-view

Of course they are not real. From the website you linked “You might also see fake pop-ups that look like McAfee pop-ups when you visit certain websites. These pop-ups are not push notifications as described above. They're simply pop-ups that the website displays when you browse to it.”

That would be sound advice to do a proper scan if I were on a PC. I’m on an IPad, so no scans here. Mumsnet just needs to stop their scammy ads. This is the only site that I get it on.

Pixiedust1234 · 15/06/2022 00:53

Please run a proper scan. According to mcafee that is a fake popup.

service.mcafee.com/?locale=en-US&articleId=TS102999&page=shell&shell=article-view

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/06/2022 00:32

*ad

saltinesandcoffeecups · 15/06/2022 00:24

Hey, I got another one… since this is the only site I get these on, I’m assuming Mumsnet is the illegal site that the add told me I visited. 😉. seriously I can keep posting these.

Original poster

REignbow · 14/06/2022 03:49

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/06/2022 03:16

Sorry I wandered off to eat… here’s one. Should I keep posting them? I get plenty.

/sarcasm over

this is on my IPad and it’s the only site I get them on.

This was exactly what I got on my iPad.

Like you it would pop up after five minutes and not be on any other website that I visit.

OP posts:

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/06/2022 03:17

See back history