Lighter -

Not ALL advertisements for magical programs to save your computer from disaster are malicious phishing. The odds are not in your favor if you click on one that just pops up somewhere, though.

Most of the programs of the kind that intend to be helpful have been found to be ineffective, in tests by the competent labs; and a few have been found to be "inadvertently destructive," despite good intentions by those who create and distribute them.

If you really need a "help program" you should know it before you see the ad. If you haven't already decided you need help, you DON'T NEED IT.

If you think you really need something that you see advertised in a popup, you don't just click the ad. You check the web for information about similar products, and find one with an established reputation, and then you go to the site where authorized packages are available from someone with a known and verifiable reputation.

You'll hardly ever see an advertisement that doesn't tell you that you need the product they offer. If you aren't less than about 10 years old (or haven't learned anything since then) you know that's just BULLSHIT. All you need to do is IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE. You can't escape it, so just "don't even see it." If it offers you something free, you know it's BULLSHIT. Just ignore. If it claims that disaster will destroy you without it, YOU KNOW IT'S BULLSHIT, and you just DON'T CLICK IT.

John