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 Post subject: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/15/17 7:06 pm • # 1 
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This is long - sorry. . I have had some issues after updates from windows and Firefox - not the newest FF. I lost my Norton safe search bar initially after a FF update. I got a tech online and he told me they changed some things in that version and he added the safe search on the top with just a check to show if the site is safe or not when I was on it (it was through remote control that he did it). The bar I was told, was eliminated.

Then last night I got some windows updates (I have 8.1) and this morning my Norton safe search in Google is gone - totally gone. The check for the safety of a site is gone from the search engine. I called the tech people and through remote he looked and all of a sudden he is looking around and shows me I have windows errors, and need to get a subscription to have malware removed that hides in files for $199 dollars.

Now, i don't know a lot about computers, but the errors he was showing me seemed familiar and i remember checking some of them out and they were ok. He googled for me the supposed infected file when i said this did not seem right. I saw the file and read it was legit file but it can be infected - it was a dll.exe something like that. I started looking and saw there was a free download to check and remove this malware - it was fast though and he clicked out of google. I guess I was suspicious as he did not do anything like the tech did the day before. I also had Googled the problem before i called and there were a lot of complaints about the same issue I was having. I told him this all did not make sense to me- he showed me more windows errors and then told me about the $199 product. I told him I knew this did not seem right and I hung up on him, and on the remote told him I would find other venues to get help and xed out.

I just googled about tech scams and it had this one down to a tee, and from Norton who seem to use another company for techs or some such thing. . I am now a nervous wreck thinking I gave a scammer access to my computer and information. It was a legitimate Norton number and seemed like the same everything as the day before, except for the tech trying to scam me. Not sure what to do, if anything. .

As an aside the safe search works with Internet Explorer so will have to do searches from there - I do a lot of searching and want to know the sites are safe.


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/15/17 8:02 pm • # 2 
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Tech scams are rampant everywhere, KB ~ first, in explanation, I got rid of Norton years ago after a similar episode to what you describe ~ BTW, Norton is VERY difficult to get rid of ~ it has bits and pieces everywhere ~ Jab linked up with me on TeamViewer and he taught me some very "colorful" language while searching out Norton's bits/pieces on my computer ~ :b

I've never used 8.1 ~ I went from XP [still my fave] to Win7 [which I learned to like] to Win10, which I like a lot NOW ~ I'm using Windows Defender [free], which is working well ~ I update it regularly ~

Along the way I found Iobit's AdvancedSystemCare ~ there's a free version ~ it's a scan that covers virtually everything ~ after using the free version for a while, I upgraded to the Pro version [it's cheap, something like $10/year] ~ it even scans/updates drivers ~ I rely on it daily ~ the full scan only takes a few minutes ~

My advice [FWIW]: download ASC [from the link above] and run a scan ~ warning: the first couple of times you run it, it will find a LOT, especially if you've been having problems ~ when the scan completes, click on "fix" and let it do its thing ~

Happy to answer any questions you may have about ASC ~

Sooz


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/15/17 8:10 pm • # 3 
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sooz06 wrote:
Tech scams are rampant everywhere, KB ~ first, in explanation, I got rid of Norton years ago after a similar episode to what you describe ~ BTW, Norton is VERY difficult to get rid of ~ it has bits and pieces everywhere ~ Jab linked up with me on TeamViewer and he taught me some very "colorful" language while searching out Norton's bits/pieces on my computer ~ :b

I've never used 8.1 ~ I went from XP [still my fave] to Win7 [which I learned to like] to Win10, which I like a lot NOW ~ I'm using Windows Defender [free], which is working well ~ I update it regularly ~

Along the way I found Iobit's AdvancedSystemCare ~ there's a free version ~ it's a scan that covers virtually everything ~ after using the free version for a while, I upgraded to the Pro version [it's cheap, something like $10/year] ~ it even scans/updates drivers ~ I rely on it daily ~ the full scan only takes a few minutes ~

My advice [FWIW]: download ASC [from the link above] and run a scan ~ warning: the first couple of times you run it, it will find a LOT, especially if you've been having problems ~ when the scan completes, click on "fix" and let it do its thing ~

Happy to answer any questions you may have about ASC ~

Sooz


I highly recommend ASC too!!!


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/15/17 9:10 pm • # 4 
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Thanks sooz. . Will look into it, but I renewed my subscription to Norton not long ago - bad timing :( I have had them for years and been satisfied with support - until now. I have Windows Defender also, and use it from time to time just to see if it catches anything Norton didn't.


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/16/17 9:49 am • # 5 
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KB, based on my own experience with Norton, I'm fairly sure Norton's support is outsourced ~ I also got repeat phone calls/emails for a while after ~ but other than being annoyed for a while, nothing bad happened from allowing its "support" onto/into my computer ~ so I don't think you need to worry about that ~ just be alert and keep an eye on bank activity and statements [especially if you bank online], etc ~

A bit more info on the link to ASC I provided above ~ it has other [free] add-on scans to check out too ~ I like and use Driver Booster, Malware Fighter, Smart Defrag ~ all of Iobit's scans are "non-invasive" ... IOW, you have to click on them to use them ~ I rely heavily on its products, especially on days I'm online a lot ... those days, it's not unusual for me to run at least ASC a couple of times a day and it's always the last thing I do before logging off ~

The most important thing for us all to do is to stay current with updates ~

Sooz

Edited to add: Sincerely sorry if I sound like a shill for Iobit ... but I just believe its products [including its "free" versions] are superior to others ~


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/16/17 10:17 am • # 6 
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Sooz -- you don't sound like a shill at all - I appreciate the input. I decided to call Symantec corp office and complain, thought this was too serious to let pass. . I got the run around and after losing my temper finally got someone to take info down and of course, they will get back to me. . They do outsource - everyone I talked to has an Indian accept and some I could barely understand - that included those answering the corporate phones. . The first one I got said he would connect me to the proper person and connected me to the menu with no choice for complaints or even customer service. I really got pissed; called again and the next one got my full wrath lol. .


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/16/17 10:28 am • # 7 
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VoC has a new "toughie" ~ GOOD FOR YOU, KB! ~ :st

Sooz


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/16/17 10:40 am • # 8 
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sooz06 wrote:
VoC has a new "toughie" ~ GOOD FOR YOU, KB! ~ :st

Sooz


:)


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/16/17 12:03 pm • # 9 
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Let's not forget to download and use Free Malwarebytes....https://www.malwarebytes.com

And as always, never ever pay for "we'll fix your computer".


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/16/17 6:25 pm • # 10 
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jabra2 wrote:
Let's not forget to download and use Free Malwarebytes....https://www.malwarebytes.com

And as always, never ever pay for "we'll fix your computer".


Thanks, jab


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/18/17 9:39 am • # 11 
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We're also running Advanced System Care and MalawareBytes here, Karolina.

I'm a paranoid dinosaur when it comes to computer issues (Jab can attest to that, lol) but ASC is great!


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/18/17 6:56 pm • # 12 
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Thanks chaos. . I have to find out if I can use it with Norton as I just renewed it. I checked my Windows Defender - have not in a long time- and I can not use it with Norton. I want to use ASC, as it comes so highly recommended, but want to be sure it is compatible with Norton while I try to phase out Norton altogether.


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/20/17 9:58 am • # 13 
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Karolinablue wrote:
Thanks chaos. . I have to find out if I can use it with Norton as I just renewed it. I checked my Windows Defender - have not in a long time- and I can not use it with Norton. I want to use ASC, as it comes so highly recommended, but want to be sure it is compatible with Norton while I try to phase out Norton altogether.

That's because Norton and Windows Defender are both "full-time, always on" protectors, which Norton is declaring conflict with each other ~ ASC is different, KB ~ it's a scan, not full-time [alleged] protection, so I don't see a conflict ~

I'll email/PM Jabra and ask him to return to this thread to either agree with my take or to set me straight ~ :b

Sooz


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/20/17 10:39 am • # 14 
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sooz06 wrote:
Karolinablue wrote:
Thanks chaos. . I have to find out if I can use it with Norton as I just renewed it. I checked my Windows Defender - have not in a long time- and I can not use it with Norton. I want to use ASC, as it comes so highly recommended, but want to be sure it is compatible with Norton while I try to phase out Norton altogether.

That's because Norton and Windows Defender are both "full-time, always on" protectors, which Norton is declaring conflict with each other ~ ASC is different, KB ~ it's a scan, not full-time [alleged] protection, so I don't see a conflict ~

I'll email/PM Jabra and ask him to return to this thread to either agree with my take or to set me straight ~ :b

Sooz


Thanks sooz, I appreciate it, as I could not find anything about it in a search. .


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/20/17 6:03 pm • # 15 
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I haven't tried ASC together with (cough, cough) Norton but I'd go with sooz and believe ASC does not interfere with (cough, cough) Norton.
Give it a try and don't select "fix automatically" at ASC for a start. Then go through ASC's report and check if there is (cough, cough) Norton as an issue which needs to be fixed or should. You can always unselect.


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/20/17 6:20 pm • # 16 
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jabra2 wrote:
I haven't tried ASC together with (cough, cough) Norton but I'd go with sooz and believe ASC does not interfere with (cough, cough) Norton.
Give it a try and don't select "fix automatically" at ASC for a start. Then go through ASC's report and check if there is (cough, cough) Norton as an issue which needs to be fixed or should. You can always unselect.


Thanks Jab. . .


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 Post subject: Re: Tech Scam
PostPosted: 11/29/17 2:56 pm • # 17 
Karolinablue wrote:
Thanks sooz. . Will look into it, but I renewed my subscription to Norton not long ago - bad timing :( I have had them for years and been satisfied with support - until now. I have Windows Defender also, and use it from time to time just to see if it catches anything Norton didn't.


Thar's yer problem right there! One or the other - not both. Norton definitions catch some things that Windows Defender doesn't because some functions that run in the background in Windows are detected as "malware" by Norton. It's important to note that Norton and Windows have never seen eye to eye on a lot of things and their feud goes back to a court case that Norton lost back in the 90's


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