Bad Bad Bad Popup on Neo.(fixed!)

[sparkygoesforth]

I have just received a popup on Neopets. I am 99% sure it came from Neo because it was for something called WinFix or some such, and it matched the ad currently showing in the top window.

It launched a Javascript application which I quickly tried to close, but that spawned further windows until my only option was to Ctrl+Alt+Del and terminate Firefox. This caused the computer to rapidly slow to a halt and required a cold restart.

I expect this was not blocked because I am running a rather out-of-date version of Firefox and therefore I probably only have myself to blame but I do not expect this kind of thing to occur on Neo. I don't use Adblock because I haven't thought that the ads were worth blocking. If they are goingto start doing this then maybe I'll have to.

Basically I'm just warning anyone to avoid clicking on anything if you get that popup (just shut down your browser immediately!), and asking has anyone else seen this one (it could conceivably be spyware on my computer I suppose)?

I got a screenie before the computer died so I'm sending that off to TNT now.

Edit: Here it is (shrunken & with my acct details taken off)

As you can see it's pretty malicious in its appearance/wording. I'm sure I did not inadvertently click on the banner - I wwas looking at my Tablet and had just clicked the 'Back to the Fortune Teller' button down near the bottom of the tablet page. The popup came straight up with the Fortune Teller page. I've emailed the Banner Ad email address but I don't hold out much hope of anything being done at this time on a Friday afternooon. [/url]

Edit2: I just got it again ::headslap:: It's still there - might be a wise idea to disable Javascript until TNT can confirm it has definitely been removed.

Last edited by sparkygoesforth on Tue Oct 11, 2005 6:28 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[Johnnydontgo]

I haven't seen that particular one, but I've recently been getting one for some breast cancer awareness fund. The regular top banner ad appears, then it spawns a popup that's comprised of tiny pink "breast cancer awareness" buttons forming a ribbon shape across the center of your screen.

[Scream]

I caught the Winfix adware too but I didn't suspect Neopets until you mentioned they show the same ads o_0 (I have ads blocked). I just thought it came from somme of the other game sites I visit.

Google "winFix Spyware" for some ways to fix it.

Edit: It spawned other windows for me as well, all relating to spyware/adware removal programs...I downloaded the new spybot search and destroy as well as the free Yahoo! Spware antivirus suite and it seems to have fixed the problem for now

[TDG]

It's Neo not checking the ads properly. Report it. It's not the actual site, its the ad that does it. You'd think Neo would check things before loading them onto their site.

[Daze]

I just received that winfix popup as well, while trying to log on using Firefox. I had to use "ctrl/alt/delete" to get out of it. I tried a second time and had to do the same thing. Finally on the 3rd go I could log in without any problem.

I should have reported it. Geez, I am slow sometimes.

[sparkygoesforth]

Thanks for the suggestion Scream, I checked out some of the forums but they all seemed to be having problems with the resident porgram. I think I must've killed it before it installed properly because it hasn't reappeared in my Task Manager, and I've been on to Neo to get the email address and wasn't attacked. the_dog_god, I mentioned in my email something along the lines of "I am no longer happy to recommend a site which does not appear to have any control over the content of the adverts it runs." but I guess there's only so much that the support staff can do about the way the business is run Hopefully they kill it quick cause it's a nasty *expletive*!

[Scream]

Speaking of bad popups, is anyone else having trouble with that flash ad for Ipod Nano (the one with the targets and the sharks)

It always freezes my Netscape/Firefox for some reason.

[Witch King]

Speaking of bad popups, is anyone else having trouble with that flash ad for Ipod Nano (the one with the targets and the sharks)

It always freezes my Netscape/Firefox for some reason.

Yes, I have gotten a handful. I am getting VERY Po'd with TnT and these blessed advertisements "we have to have".

I'm sorry, wasn't Neopets built on the blocks of "we will never have advertisements or pop-up's on our site!"

[JhasNeeh]

Speaking of bad popups, is anyone else having trouble with that flash ad for Ipod Nano (the one with the targets and the sharks)

It always freezes my Netscape/Firefox for some reason.

Yes, I have gotten a handful. I am getting VERY Po'd with TnT and these blessed advertisements "we have to have".

I'm sorry, wasn't Neopets built on the blocks of "we will never have advertisements or pop-up's on our site!"

If you read the new editorial, the last but one question relates to this. Sometimes irritating sponsors slip in pop-ups with a banner without neopets realising or after it has been checked. Just let them know and it'll get removed.

[Catgrrrrrrl]

I haven't seen that particular one, but I've recently been getting one for some breast cancer awareness fund. The regular top banner ad appears, then it spawns a popup that's comprised of tiny pink "breast cancer awareness" buttons forming a ribbon shape across the center of your screen.

Isn't it ironic to see ads about things we would get frozen for talking about on the Neoboards? I am all for keeping Neopets free, but they need to screen the ads that pop up, put weird animations over the page, and have sound. I HATE the sound ones. Oh, they turn up really loud and I can't leave my sound on at all anymore.

[Witch King]

Speaking of bad popups, is anyone else having trouble with that flash ad for Ipod Nano (the one with the targets and the sharks)

It always freezes my Netscape/Firefox for some reason.

Yes, I have gotten a handful. I am getting VERY Po'd with TnT and these blessed advertisements "we have to have".

I'm sorry, wasn't Neopets built on the blocks of "we will never have advertisements or pop-up's on our site!"

If you read the new editorial, the last but one question relates to this. Sometimes irritating sponsors slip in pop-ups with a banner without neopets realising or after it has been checked. Just let them know and it'll get removed.

I place my self in bold. Why? Because we shouldn't have to report anything when one of the building blocks of this site by the original group of TnT memebers was as quoted above.

[Catgrrrrrrl]

Speaking of bad popups, is anyone else having trouble with that flash ad for Ipod Nano (the one with the targets and the sharks)

It always freezes my Netscape/Firefox for some reason.

Yes, I have gotten a handful. I am getting VERY Po'd with TnT and these blessed advertisements "we have to have".

I'm sorry, wasn't Neopets built on the blocks of "we will never have advertisements or pop-up's on our site!"

If you read the new editorial, the last but one question relates to this. Sometimes irritating sponsors slip in pop-ups with a banner without neopets realising or after it has been checked. Just let them know and it'll get removed.

I place my self in bold. Why? Because we shouldn't have to report anything when one of the building blocks of this site by the original group of TnT memebers was as quoted above.

They ought to insist that they keep the ad data on their own server after approving it so the site can not alter it. I don't really buy that this is the case anyway. I think they're just not checking them.

[everconfused]

This has been a thorn in my side for quite awhile. OK, fine, ads were needed to help pay to keep the site free. The first ads we complained about, but pretty much got over it.

Then they went to the huge bannerzilla size ads. Adding insult to injury, there's now ads at the bottom of the page. Slows things down, even on higher speed internet and on dial up it can be a nightmare waiting for the page to load all this stuff.

There are more and more instances of pop-ups, which should NOT be happening and now there's pop-ups that are actually d/l things that could damage our computers or compromise our privacy. The bottom line is this to me. I don't care what the site is, if there are ads that are d/l spyware (and worse) onto your computer then it falls to that site to contact the ad agency and let them know in no uncertain terms that it is not acceptable. Neo is a COPPA site, they could very well be risking their rating if enough parents/adults find this stuff and report it. I'm talking about places like the BBB and COPPA itself.

Something needs to be done about this. Yes, we can and should report when we find bad ads or pop-ups and that does help staff take care of the problem. But it shouldn't be our job to police the site for this type of content. There should be some way for the company to take care of this before it ever hits the site.

[psyco_chick32]

There's a super-fast blinkie ad for something... don't know what, I always close out of the window fast, that really messes with me at night. I'm epileptic, and take my meds around 10pm... anytime around midnight or afterwards things like that mess with me (though upon further reflection, you'd think me taking my meds would make it not happen, rather than instigate it...)
Either way, if somebody gets that, could you kindly please grasp what it's for? I tried to report it (because it also messes with another friend of mine who suffers severe migranes) but don't know what it's for, nor never gotten a screenie...

[endeavourl]

Yea, ive noticed tons of popups recently (4 or 5 today) while using the latest version of firefox. Neopets really needs to crack down, and firefox needs another new version (darn those horrible programmers who create pop ups)