StormBringer
Posts: 2,218 +0
I received this on my work laptop earlier this morning while looking for some schematic info, I decided to copy the text and post it here. I have never run accross anything like it before. A had clicked on a link and while the page was opening I was directed to a page which included the following msg:
I don't remember the URL and I think there was some links in the page that got discarded through the copy to notepad.
Anyway I found it interesting. I know it isn't very useful to anyone but I actually did have comet cursor on there and after I removed it the page loaded as it should.
YOU HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO THIS PAGE BECAUSE YOUR PC APPEARS TO BE INFECTED.
You have been directed to this page because our site has determined that your PC appears to be infected with one or more parasites!
This is a free service.
First, relax... it's not fatal or contagious!
We feel your online privacy is important to you and that you may not be aware that these parasitic files can invade your privacy and use your pc resources without your knowledge. This is a war on scumware/spyware!
It's purely informational, but if you act on this information, you may help boost the performance of your computer, your Internet connection, and increase your privacy without spending a dime. Pretty good deal so far, huh? It also helps us out, since some of these programs actually steal our affiliate commissions! More on that later...
If you have a problem with this then kindly email me.
You arrived at this page instead of one of my pages because you have adware and/or spyware installed on your computer. These are small software programs that do everything from popping up ads, to tracking your purchases and collecting information from your computer, to using your computer's CPU in a resource sharing program. They can, in some cases, actually delete other programs [read "Copyright Violations" section], and take control of your computer.
What follows [in the box] are some of the "parasite" programs you have installed. The script can't detect all of them, but there is software that does detect most. Please continue reading, the FREE software you can use to detect, and remove the parasites [if you decide to] is near the end of the page...
Warning!
Your browser appears to have the "CometCursor" parasite installed. This software can present you with unwanted advertising and invade your on-line privacy. It might have been installed without your knowledge. Information and removal instructions.
You may be wondering how you got these programs on your hard drive. There are many sources. Have you installed one of the many MP3 file sharing programs? How about Gator? Has a popup asked if you would let CometCursor be installed, to let you see the cute snowman [or whatever] cursor on a site? Have you installed ANY free program that says it's financed by ad revenues? Most of these install third-party "bundled software" in addition to the program you actually wanted and thought you were downloading. In some cases programs are installed from a website without your knowledge or permission, also known as "drive-by downloads".
Why didn't they tell you about all the third-party programs? They did - but they buried the information in the license agreement that most people never read!
If you didn't read the license agreement, you're not alone. Here is an excellent explanation and example, titled "Fine Print Funny Business - No One Agrees to an Unread Agreement!" by Steve Gibson of Gibson Research Corporation. Note that many spyware/adware agreements are even less honest than the example.
Did you wonder why, after installing one of these programs, your computer was slow or crashed for no good reason, like this woman's? Maybe you wondered why your Internet connection was so much slower, or there was a lot of activity on the connection, even though you weren't doing anything at the moment?
The answer is that the third-party "bundled software" is using all or any combination of your computer's RAM memory, CPU time, and your Internet connection to serve ads and collect a variety of information on your surfing and shopping habits.
As if that weren't bad enough, some of these third-party software programs also steal affiliate commissions from various sites you visit... including this site! How does this work? Affiliate programs return a small commission to the site owner [with no additional cost to you], when you click a link and buy a product. Some of the adware/spyware programs, in violation of the affiliate agreement they had to sign, without your knowledge, and at the expense of the site owner, will hijack the affiliate link, giving themselves the commission that should have gone to the site owner.
The theft can be a "stealth" operation, where the affiliate link is changed without you noticing, or with a popup offering you some incentive [also a violation of the affiliate agreement!] to click their link instead of the site owner's.
Since many small, special interest shopping and content sites depend on affiliate income to remain in operation, the theft of commissions will eventually cause them to close, leaving mostly corporate sites with little of the personality and enthusiasm that make the Internet the unique place it's become.
Because these programs do steal our affiliate commissions, you will not be able to access many pages on our site, since the script that brought you here will do so as long as you have the parasite programs installed. We are very sorry to have to take this step, but we're sure you wouldn't want someone stealing your paycheck either. When you have removed the parasite programs, our site will work normally for you. Those visitors without parasites installed, don't even know this page exists.
Note that many affiliate sites will be installing this script in the near future, as self defense against the unethical companies that distribute parasite software.
I don't remember the URL and I think there was some links in the page that got discarded through the copy to notepad.
Anyway I found it interesting. I know it isn't very useful to anyone but I actually did have comet cursor on there and after I removed it the page loaded as it should.
