I accidentally stumbled upon some sketchy websites while browsing on my tablet, and now I'm freaking out. I got a ton of notifications saying things like "we detected 18 viruses on your device," plus some alarming messages that included my city name. I don't really care that much about my tablet, since I factory reset it, but I'm concerned about my privacy. Could someone potentially have my address, or hack into my family's devices after this? What are the actual risks here?
3 Answers
If you're still worried, consider using a VPN like Surfshark for added privacy—it has built-in antivirus as well. But honestly, if you've done a full factory reset, you're likely in the clear already. Just be cautious on sketchy sites in the future!
I’m not on Windows; I’m just on an Android tablet. But I appreciate the suggestions!
Yeah, those notifications are usually just BS from dodgy websites. Chrome and other browsers can throw those at you, but resetting your tablet should have cleared any real issues. Just don’t worry too much about it!
You're probably overreacting! Those notifications are just scare tactics to get you to buy a fake virus removal tool. Since you've reset your tablet, it should be just fine. If anything, you might just have experienced some annoying popups; they don't have your actual address or anything.
Right, a VPN won't help with those popups. Instead, think about using a good DNS filter or an ad blocker like uBlock Origin to keep the bad stuff away.