A possilbe phising scam.

[Skyviper086]

I found what appears to be a phishing scam and I managed to get a screen shot of it. The ad displayed at the top portion of the current page had several different colored buttons. It said to press the red button. Upon doing so it gives you an "IQ" test after which it asks for personal information so you can get your results.

 

I only clicked on this ad to confirm my suspicions and did not give any personal information. I figured someone would like to know about this. If I'm mistaken would a moderator please delete this topic as well accept my apologies for the misunderstanding.

 

http://i.imgur.com/7fGDP.jpg

Edited October 25, 2011 by Skyviper086

[bben46]

Thank you. The pic helps us identify that particular ad.

 

I am always amazed at how gullible people are - 99.9% of these pop ups that say "Win a FREE Ipad, IQ tests, Q&A posts" and such are scams of one sort or another. Even the non evil ones are trying to get you to either buy something or get your email so they can put you on their mailing list or sell it to spammers. By answering or just clicking on these you are enabling them as well as giving them the info they need to scam you. Just clicking gives them some info, like a valid IP address, which tells them what town you are in. Another trick is to use that click to install a virus - the install is hidden and is completed while you are answering their silly questions then later you get a pop up that says it has detected a virus and you need to send them money to clean it out. >:(

 

I do not believe anyone has ever won an Ipad or anything else besides grief by clicking on those pop ups. :down:

 

Never give any personal info - no telephone number, no birthday, no favorite pet name, no where you were born, No what school, no grandparent's names - these are the answers to the most common website security questions used by banking and other sites to verify who you are. With your user name and password stolen from some site (Sony) and the answer to one or more of these questions, they can convince your bank that they are you and clean you out.

 

1. Don't use the same user name for game sites as for financial sites.

2. Don't use the same password for financial sites that you use for any other site. Best use a different password for each site.

3. If they give you the option, make up your own security question and answer example Security question: What is 2 + 4 and your answer is 32. Or if they don't allow you to make it up, Question: What was your grandmother's first name, Answer Purple (or any word that is NOT the right answer.

 

If you use the same password or have done any of these others, first run a virus scan, then if it comes back clean - Change your passwords NOW!

 

4. Don't answer stupid questions on pop ups and don't click on pop ups.

5. Use the pop up blocker built into most browsers - or get an add on pop up blocker. Or both!:yes:

[Keirgarth]

All good advice bben46. I would like to add to it just slightly :)

 

If you use popup blockers, make sure you set the nexus site where you download files as an approved site otherwise you won't get your downloads :)

[ffa1mf]

I know ads are regional and even country based and that the Nexus has no control on what ads appear, where they come from or any control on them at all really.

 

While an ad appearing on the site can be something potentially dangerous - what happened to me was no ads appearing - just the FireFox "Problem Loading Page" error screen where the ads were supposed to be. Since I didn't have any problems with the site (downloading, etc.) I thought nothing of it. Then, I started having problems with the Nexus site. Could not log in, could not download, - all kinds of problems. I actually thought I had been banned somehow for some reason. However, the forums were no problem to get to or log in to (no ads there).

 

I got to the forums and started reading the advice posts. So I was doing some changes and testing to get to the site and one of the pieces of advice was to use a mobile browser from a flashdrive. So I did it and lo and behold the site loaded and I logged in, but this time the ads loaded too and I got hit with a browser hijacker and trojan. One that says "You have a virus - do a scan now" stupidly enough and attached to a local phone company's ad (apparently not everyone likes public utilities) and reportedly part of a DDoS setup (according to my ISP).

While my virus software popped a dozen or so warnings up on the screen of what was happening, it didn't stop everything and it even effected my backup drive.

 

Long story short - I wound up losing everything off both drives (I had to throw away the backup drive as it would not clean) including the literally thousand or so TESIV mods I had stored.

 

While I have no issue with Nexus placing ads on the web site and doing whatever it is to keep the site going, ads are just another form of popup and pose a potential danger to your personal security and computer's well being. I don't even let my mouse cursor run across ads as even something as simple as that can activate them. Its a dangerous world and even being careful doesn't always keep you out of trouble.

 

Good advice bben.

[ginnyfizz]

BBen46, sound advice indeed, after my unfortunate experience with my Xbox Live account getting hacked I am implementing such measures! I have also got that natty little KeePass tool.

[HellsMaster]

Oh dear god...

 

I can't believe this... VISTA! oO

 

On topic:

 

Since you are using firefox, you should look at the addon called NoScript. Learn to love and know that tool :)

[bben46]

Yup, on the innertubes its CYA and every man (or woman) for themselves.

Currently using Firefox 7.0.1

Settings

Do not accept 3rd party cookies

Tell websites I do not want to be tracked

Clear history when Firefox closes

Warn when sites try to install add-ons

Block reported attack sites

Block reported web forgeries

Block Pop-up windows

 

Add ons

Adblock Plus

Better privacy

LastPass (password program- disabled for Nexus as it reenters password every time I hit the back arrow in the forums.

NoScript

Webmail Ad Blocker - works with gmail ads

 

Then if I'm feeling especially insecure, I use Sandboxie to start Firefox

[Spaceritual]

Thanks for the tips BBen installed most of those add ons for Firefox . seemed to go well :)