Firefox Apple Iphone X Browser Survey Scam - Malware?

Hi - my main Q is whether the following incident which just happened to me, caused my system to become infected, and if i'm at personal risk as well?

I was about to check out my last post at another majorgeeks thread, when out of the blue on my FF browser - an Apple Iphone X browser survey popup displayed asking if i'd like to answer Qs on a Firefox opinion survey, whereupon i can get an Apple Iphone X for $1. When i agreed, a timer began timing me, for approx. 10? 15? min. whereupon the $1 offer would expire.

It's probably a Firefox version of this scam:
https://www.onlinethreatalerts.com/...iphone-x-visitor-browser-opinion-survey-scam/

and consisted of a huge URL starting with:
http://apps4852.not-this-way42.live/?utm_campaign=etc.etc.etc.

and wound up informing me:
APPROVED! Thank you for joining sexy dating scene!
With a button stating: ENTER MEMBERS AREA
(below that informing me of my "username" & "password" and that if i click the link above, i'll be automatically enrolled in the site below blah blah.

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

Believe me, this particular twist never happened to me before. It had appeared like a legitimate Firefox survey, but it was a scam which charged my debit card approx. $39, and involved TWO of my debit cards, one Visa, the other Mastercard (all because i didn't know that CVV meant the security code on rear). So the Visa card's info stated "rejected", and it then asked me to enter an alt. card number. Meanwhile, because i'd entered the 3-digit code of my Visa anyway (after i researched what CVV meant), i needed to rush to block both cards. One or both will need to be disputed by the respective banks. I was unable to reach the Visa-associated bank (to find out if the fraudsters charged that one as well), due to it being after hours. That was very frustrating. The criminal-fraudsters are located in the UK, and now have my name and zip-code.

Is the latter a personal risk for me, and could they have infected me with malware?

I do have MSE, but turned off updates for fear that MS would auto-download extraneous stuff i cannot afford to have on my 80gb system. Especially not an auto-download of Win10 in place of Win7-Home!

 

You should be cleaning up your emails. No dating!

Seriously, go here and follow the instructions in the sticky.
https://forums.majorgeeks.com/forums/malware-help-mg-a-specialist-will-reply.35/

Any survey requesting your credit card info is a scam.

 

OK, thanks Eldon, i copy-pasted this thread to the official malware forum, with the addition of a screenshot of the scam-site.

THIS THREAD NOW TRANSFERRED / AND / CLOSED.

 

You need to upload all the logs requested in the sticky.
Read this:
https://forums.majorgeeks.com/threa...10-malware-removal-cleaning-procedure.139681/

 

Eldon, I just now posted the Adw Cleaner log file as per Step One listed in that link you gave.

Isn't that enough for starters? All the rest is too overwhelming for me at this point. Alternatively, would it be possible at this point for me to somehow download/install a fresh copy of Win7-Home? Would that be quicker?

BTW, Eldon, did you see my purple questions in my below thread?
https://forums.majorgeeks.com/threads/export-yahoomail-to-e-pim-then-from-there-to-gmail.319758/

 

@minni,
The experts want all the logs as per the sticky.

If you want to go this route, first ensure you have your Windows 7 product key.
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/produkey.html

Then go here.
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/windows_usbdvd_download_tool.html

 

OK, so now i jotted down the Product ID's and Product Keys of MS Office, Win7-Home & I.Explorer...
...and also i have the zipped Windows download tool in my Downloads folder.

I've no idea what to click within there. Any clue? Thanks!

 

Look for the Setup.exe file (it should be in the Install folder) and run it.

 

No such file in the install folder.

 

Have you downloaded the Windows 7 ISO file?
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

 

As long as you believe anything that is too good to be true and clicking in popups, you will keep getting infected.
NEVER click inside a popup on a webpage or a browser window.

If the window has no X in the right top corner to close it, close your browser then scan the computer.

 

plodr i see... (believe it or not, this is a first for me!

Eldon, no, I didn't yet. Can you please advise? Here's what I got:

• 4gb Cruzer-stick with data on it
• 16gb CruzerGlide-stick with identical data as the 4gb-stick
• 64gb New-never-used Cruzer-stick

Now lets say i put the "ISO" onto the 64gb blank stick. Can i then later delete the ISO from the 64gb stick, and instead use the latter for backing up my Gmails, in case i decide to use, say, Thunderbird?

 

Yes.

 

Thanks! Oops i forgot to ask if i'm supposed to download the ISO via my XP laptop (since this one may have been compromised? ...and also download it to the Desktop of the XP laptop?

...Or am I rather supposed to download the ISO via this Win7-laptop directly onto my USB-stick, after clicking "verify" on your aforesaid link? (note - that's on the premise that my product-key will be accepted - since the laptop is previously used.

So sorry - you probably haven't often run into anyone as outdated as me!

 

P.S. Also, what's with the Windows Download Tool (in my Downloads folder)? Do i use that, or rather do i use this:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

 

You need the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool copy to create a copy of the ISO onto USB or DVD. It doesn't support Windows XP.
Therefor you'll have to download the ISO to your current Desktop.

 

OK, thanks, i'll proceed with the verifying, and then take it from there. I'll see how it goes.
Update - here's the result - any idea what on earth this means?

 

P.S. I next decided to try the COA that's on the underpart of this laptop.
That yielded the below. I think i'll next try contacting the seller.

 

What are the options when you click on FAQ?

 

So this is a used computer?
1. What brand and model is the computer?
2. Where did you try and download the ISO from?

If you tried on a MS site and the brand is a well-known OEM like Dell, HP, Acer, etc. MS will not let you download the ISO.

This tool used to be able to allow you to download the ISO
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/microsoft_windows_iso_download_tool.html

I can no longer test it because it requires a higher version of NET framework than is on my computers.

I successfully downloaded Win7 Home and Pro 32 bit and 64 bit and Win 7 Starter so I'd have them if I needed to repair a computer.

 

I'll provide screenshots, but first, i'll post the seller's response to my request for usable product key (which i requested - because prior to purchase, i'd asked if it has a COA, to which he'd responded that it has a Win 7 coa for refurbished PC's on the bottom of the unit.)

His latest response:
The Windows 7 COA was a purchased legitimate for refurbished only key......... You must use an OEM version of Win 7 with that key.
[the rest is less relevant, so i'll send it via PM].​

 

Yes, it's a used laptop - Lenovo R61 - Win7 Home Premium.

I did not yet download the ISO, as first i'd been attempting the verification process, as per my response to Eldon, via:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

As for your majorgeeks download link, am i not supposed to first verify a legitimate product-key, in any case?

 

This means the COA will only work with the original disc used to install Windows.

 

I'm upset because it's always been my understanding that as long as i find out there's a COA, it's safe to buy. So now there's another catch tacked on? I.E. that you need to also make sure there's an original disk? After all, how many sellers include original disks?

Can you please clarify? Because i'm confused, and want to know if i'm in error, or if it's the seller's error.

 

Not all computers with Windows 7 pre-installed will include the original disk or a recovery disc. It depends who you bought it from - OEM, SB, custom or reseller.
Also, there could be a recovery partition.

As I have the original Windows 7 disk, I cannot further advise you.

I suggest you peruse the following.
https://support.lenovo.com/za/en/solutions/ht075445
Windows 7 Recovery Instructions

 

For at least a decade, at least in the US, no disk has been included with a new computer. All our new computers included instructions on how to make our own system restore/recovery disks. That's one of the first things I did.

I bought a refurbished desktop computer for my husband. It was from a MS certified refurbisher and came with a disk and clear instructions and a different serial number to use.

 

From your link, here's the instruction which has me stymied:

Insert the Applications and Drivers Recovery Disc labeled Disc 1 into the DVD drive.​

The point is - I don't have that disc.

If it's relevant to your reference to "OEM, SB, custom or reseller":
It was "seller refurbished" & also stated that Windows 7 has been freshly installed (but yet, on the C-drive, it contains files from 2009, 2013, and so forth, some of which have padlock symbols.

...Also, in his latest response which i just now opened, the seller stated:

My COST for the media/COA was just under$100 when I purchased it for my customer several years ago.

​

 

plodr, lucky you! To both of you - based on my above post #27, is my only option now to revert back to the Professional Malware board, and go thru those complicated hoops? This non-easy recovery is scary. I spend more of my online time babysitting problems (both Windows and email-organization) than actually using the computer.

 

All of this could have been avoided if you just followed the suggestion in post #2 - February 7, 2019.

In retrospect, and with all due respect, none of this would have been necessary if not for your obsession to horde millions of emails.

 

MG has provided,as usual,excellent advice. I would like to add an important legal addendum,referenced to your initial post:regarding personal risk et al.
Yes,you have let open a gateway to some unscrupulous people.(maybe not now,but one never knows what the future holds).
Banks issuing the credit cards have been notified (and cancelled)? Charges were/are disputed?You have notified your 'smart phone' carrier?

PLEASE: contact the following:

UK contacts:

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-report-a-scam

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/crime-threats/fraud

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/scams-fraud/

USA contacts:

https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/report-fraud


worth repeating:
"In retrospect, and with all due respect, none of this would have been necessary if not for your obsession to horde millions of emails." Eldon is such a grand gentleman (all MG men are,women of MG are grand ladies)

post script:the delete key functions well,esp if you hit it. LOL..I am only humane to animals. BUT,I do wish you well.Get a tracphone with 500 minutes text,data,talk.

 

Do you really think by reporting a email scam is going to stop them from scamming.All they would have to do is create a new email just as easy after reporting it.

The best advice is just put all the email scams in the trash bin.Don't even open them up.Or report them through the report spam option.They will continue to flood your spam folder,In which case you don't need to worry about the spam folder.Heck if i leave my spam folder go for like six months,I could get up to 2,000 spams.I don't worry about them.

 

As a reminder, the scam happened prior to my going to the professional malware board (like you suggested), but i switched back to this one, hoping to do a fresh install.

The scam was not an email scam. Is there any good site which explains how various people organize their Gmails (including thunderbird, and which external storage they use)? Up until now i didn't much worry about hording, since Yahoomail offered a TB storage.

Of course i blocked my cards immediately after the incident, and it's in dispute.

 

P.S. I hope nobody is taking anything the wrong way, since it sorta seemed that way from the latest responses. I really appreciate all your help! With that said, it's true that i do need to babysit my system due to all the criminals in the world, not to mention that AdBlock Plus failed to stop that popup.

 

Its never taken the wrong way minni........your input is always welcomed in seeking advice!

Yes, the internet is a bad mans playground.
They are lurking and looking to take advantage of the next sucker!
They prey on the weak and gullible.

Be strong, learn to sniff a rat, and always protect yourself online by not being 'click' happy.
Don't rely on software to totally protect you.......as stated before, that responsibility rests with you, the user!

If its too good to be true.....It is!

Regards