Nasty new spyware...

[random guy]

Well this is new and irritating - I recently had this spyware on my computer which would take keywords from any webpage you were viewing, and turn them into links to sponsored advertisements....NASTY.

 

For example, I was just on the National Lampoon website, and in an article I was reading, random words were hyperlinked...for example unloved turned into a link as did money, and diet. I clicked on those links and they all turned out to be ads. I found some of the same words hyperlinked on another site, so I ran ad-aware, and refreshed the browser and the links were gone!

 

Has anyone else encountered this? Beware of this new annoyance!

 

edit: Son of a...its still there! How can I get rid of this thing?

Edited February 16, 2004 by random guy

[kaioshade]

I had this on my comp one time, but i have no idea what caused it or how to get rid of it. i just endured it until i switched drives, which i ended up doing 3 days later. Never saw the problem again.

 

I also use mozilla as my browser. that problam i had while i was using IE.

Edited February 16, 2004 by kaioshade

[AntiWinner22]

I have had this. It is REALLY irritating. If you go to an IGN page, you can see most EVERYTHING is hyperlinked in green.

 

Try Spybot - Search and Destroy. Run that. If that don't work, try installing Google Toolbar. I think that's what fixed it on my comp. This adware deal only works on IE, if you wanted to know.

 

Anon.

[Rag]

I had this, I can't remember what I did, but I think installing Google Toolbar fixed it. Either that or Adaware/Spyware.

 

It was really annoying because at first I had no idea what it was and it would only highlight some words like flowers or money such things...

[Diso]

Spyware - Search and destroy I think is a spyware itself.

 

Just use Ad-aware, I think its one of the safe ones out there

and most reliable

[Rag]

you think Spybots a spyware?.... I dunno about that...

[random guy]

Nah, I doubt it - spybot is a good anti-spyware program. Its better than Ad-Aware, it seems, or at least it finds ads that Ad-Aware doesn't. I use both.

 

Thanks for your replies, I *hope* I got rid of it using spybot, but I really think that this is going too far! I wish there was someone to complain to dammit, but this is the internet. Trying to police/moderate the internet would be like trying to quell an English Football Riot with a toothbrush.

[ugenn]

The *best* anti-spyware known to mankind.

Edited February 17, 2004 by ugenn

[AntiWinner22]

The *best* anti-spyware known to mankind.

I believe this is! (I have it!)