Got a Scary Fake Virus Pop-Up on Google Maps—Should I Be Worried?
Asked by
CuriousCat92
So, I was using Google Maps to find a business's website, and when I clicked on it, I got redirected to a scary ad claiming my PC was infected with malware. There was a Norton antivirus ad too, but I don't actually have Norton. I immediately closed Microsoft Edge without clicking any ads or entering my info. After that, I reset both Edge and Chrome to their default settings and ran a scan with Windows Defender, which said my system is clean. I'm worried that maybe I still have malware lurking on my PC and that it could have accessed my files, especially what's in my Downloads folder. I also changed my email password and secured my Edge account as a precaution. Am I okay?
Answers
You're likely safe if Windows Defender didn’t find anything, but sometimes adware or browser hijackers can slip through. I recommend running a scan with AdwCleaner to clean up any pesky bits. Also, using something like Ublock Origin can help prevent these fake pages from bothering you in the future.
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SkepticalSearcher: What is AdwCleaner? Also, is Brave a good alternative to Ublock?