Martin Blake

One practical thing people miss with these fake app downloads is the cleanup afterwards. If someone did install it on a Windows PC, don’t just delete the shortcut or the downloaded file. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, uninstall anything odd that appeared around the same

Yes, that’s exactly the sort of thing I see with these pages. The original leak gets old, but the scams around it keep going: fake logins, pushy sign-up boxes, browser notification traps, and dodgy downloads. Best advice on a Windows 11 laptop is simple, don’t browse them at all.

Aye, that’s the right way to do it. I get two of these a week on Windows 10 and 11 machines after some breach or another, and the sender name alone means nothing these days. Best checks are the actual email address behind the display name, the reply-to address, and any weird spel

One practical thing people miss with these script-based stealers is where they hide persistence. After you’ve disconnected the PC, open Task Manager and then check Task Scheduler and the Startup tab in Settings. I get two of these a week where the original file is gone, but a sch

Aye, that’s sensible enough. I see a lot of dodgy mail on Windows 11 boxes, and blocking risky attachment types by default is a good extra layer. It won’t catch everything though, so your habit of checking the sender, the file type, and whether you were expecting it is still the

Aye, that’s the right approach. I get two of these a week on customer machines: don’t ring the number, don’t click anything in the pop-up, and shut the browser down if you can. If it’s stuck or full-screen, Task Manager is the quickest way to end the browser process. If it keeps

Aye, that’s the right way to look at it. Patching is first, but if the service is exposed then the account it runs under and the firewall rules matter just as much. I’ve seen plenty of Windows boxes where people leave a service running with more rights than it needs, and that jus

One practical thing people overlook is that a credit freeze only affects the three credit files, so it won’t stop someone using an existing card or bank account. If you’re freezing because of suspicious activity, do the bank side as well: log into your online banking, check recen

Aye, that’s the bit people miss with this sort of thing. I get two or three old HFS installs turning up now and then, usually on a box someone set up years ago and forgot about. Best first steps are simple: check the exact version, make sure it’s not exposed to the internet, and

Aye, that’s a good practical step. I get two of these a week where the browser just keeps dragging the same scam page back up after a restart, and it’s usually one of three things: browser startup settings, site notifications, or a nasty extension. I’d add one thing though: if th

Freezing your credit is a good step, but it won’t stop card charges already showing on your bank statement. If you’re seeing small charges now, contact the bank straight away and tell them those transactions weren’t yours. They can block the card, check the payments, and often re

Aye, one thing worth checking after a fake update pop-up is the browser’s notifications. I get two of these a week where the scare page keeps coming back because the site was allowed to send alerts. In Chrome or Edge, go to Settings, then Privacy and security, then Site settings,

Yes, that’s one of the first things I check. The bad ones often have tiny spelling slips, odd sender names, or a reply address that doesn’t match the company. Best move is: 1. Don’t click anything in the email. 2. Check the sender address carefully, not just the display name. 3.

Yes, I’ve seen that plenty of times on Windows 11. The bit people get wrong is clicking the pop-up even if it looks like a browser message. If it’s genuine, the browser will usually show the update through its own menu, not through a random page or desktop pop-up. If you want to

Aye, that does sound like scareware in the browser rather than a real infection. Best quick checks: 1. Close that tab/browser and don’t click anything in the pop-up. 2. Go to browser settings and remove any strange site notifications or extensions. 3. If it still comes back after

One thing people often miss after a breach like this: if your district gives you a notice letter, check whether it includes free credit monitoring or identity restoration steps, and keep that letter. If your Social Security number was exposed, I’d also freeze your credit with the

Freezing your credit does stop most new accounts from being opened in your name, yes. That’s the main point of it. But it doesn’t cover everything. You should still keep an eye on your bank and card statements, and check your credit report now and then. A freeze won’t stop fraud