I came across a news link shared by a friend of my husband on Facebook and, thinking it was important, I clicked on it. Instead of the information I expected, I was taken to a site that flashed blue warning screens claiming I had a virus. I quickly exited the site, and my daughter helped by clearing my recent cookies and cache from Chrome. I own an Android device, and while my daughter advised me to monitor my accounts, she mentioned this might be a case of scareware. I didn't download anything or see any new files on my device, but I'm still worried. Am I in the clear?
3 Answers
No need to panic! This was scareware intended to scare you into clicking something more dangerous. Since you clicked away and cleared your cache, you're likely safe. Still, changing your passwords as a precaution is a good idea!
It's just spam trying to scare you. The warning is fake, and since you didn't download anything, you're fine. Just make sure to keep your device updated and don't click on unfamiliar links again!
You're probably okay! What you encountered is likely just a malicious website designed to scare you into taking action. It's best to avoid random links, especially on social media like Facebook. You did the right thing by exiting the site and clearing your cookies and cache.
Totally agree! Always better safe than sorry with those links.