WARNING: INTERNET POP-UP SURVEY COULD BE A DANGEROUS SCAM
| The first red flag for any advertisement or solicitation is the lack of a clear company name on the pop-up. The second red flag is a well-known logo or product name without reference to the vendor’s true name. |
While browsing the Internet, I was presented with a page that appears to be designed like the type of survey that would come from Microsoft …
It looks like an Internet Explorer product given the explorer logo, color and design.
It also looks like a Chrome product!
When I switched browsers, the scam site detected the switch and changed its logo and language to Google’s Chrome browser. Given the trivial nature of determining what browser you are using, this is not even a hack.
Who is really behind this attempt to trick you into responding?
It appears that the people behind this highly deceptive practice is an advertising company in Amsterdam with servers in the Bahamas.
Bottom line …
Before responding to any request for information, anonymous or otherwise, check the IP address in the address bar and never assume that a dangerous attack on your identity would not look like a phishing attempt from a well-known organization. Best practices include ignoring all pop-ups.
-- steve
“Nullius in verba.”-- take nobody's word for it!
“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw
“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”
“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius “A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell “Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar “Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS