# pop-up scam **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562 "2004-03-16T02:27:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![seaworthy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@seaworthy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seaworthy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/1 "2004-03-16T02:27:43Z")
I recently learned about a new kind of computer scam- apparently it has something to do with pop-ups, and they install a program on your computer which will dial a long-distance number and then you get an outrageous phone bill. I read about it in the paper. Then they got me. I have a pop-up blocker on my ISP, so I never got pop-ups before. Now I get them all the time, but only if I have Kazaa open. This might be how I got the damn thing in the first place. Question is, how do I get rid of it? My last phone bill had 1 strange long-distance charge on it, but that was just the beginning of these accursed pop-ups. I fear my next bill will be huge. And I don’t know if this is related or not, but recently I noticed an icon on my desktop for _Instant Access_ which apparently is a shortcut to a porn site. It has defied all my attempts to delete it. I’ve searched my computer for all programs or files named instant access, and deleted them all, but everytime I restart my computer, it’s back. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/2 "2004-03-16T02:34:50Z")
> [@seaworthy](#): > > I recently learned about a new kind of computer scam- apparently it has something to do with pop-ups, and they install a program on your computer which will dial a long-distance number and then you get an outrageous phone bill. I read about it in the paper. Then they got me. > > I have a pop-up blocker on my ISP, so I never got pop-ups before. Now I get them all the time, but only if I have Kazaa open. This might be how I got the damn thing in the first place. > > Question is, how do I get rid of it? My last phone bill had 1 strange long-distance charge on it, but that was just the beginning of these accursed pop-ups. I fear my next bill will be huge. > > And I don’t know if this is related or not, but recently I noticed an icon on my desktop for _Instant Access_ which apparently is a shortcut to a porn site. It has defied all my attempts to delete it. I’ve searched my computer for all programs or files named instant access, and deleted them all, but everytime I restart my computer, it’s back. [Ad Aware](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) or [Spybot S&D](http://www.safer-networking.org/) will get rid of the dialler for you. They should also help prevent new spyware installing. There can be a conflict if you try to run both, so pick one or the other. Kazaa has spyware built into it. You may have trouble running it after using AdAware or Spybot. If you seriously want to keep using it, perhaps try uninstalling Kazaa first, then running the anti-spyware program, then reinstalling Kazaa. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/3 "2004-03-16T02:45:39Z")
Or find a copy of Kazaa Lite - hacked Kazaa without the crap. Or use Emule or similar, which doesn’t have any of these problems. Oh, and stop looking at porn, which is where most dialers come from 😉 ---
**Author:** ![seaworthy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@seaworthy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seaworthy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/4 "2004-03-16T02:50:59Z")
Haven’t been looking at porn, thanks. 🙂 And where can I get a copy of Kazaa Lite? I’m assuming it won’t have the nasty ads and such, which I hate. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/5 "2004-03-16T02:54:44Z")
_link deleted_ ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/6 "2004-03-16T03:37:38Z")
Had this happen to me, well my roommate, but it was on my bill. The bill was like 60 some dollars, IIRC, and was for 3 mins one instance, and 1 min another. My roommate said he heard the computer dialing after the popup came on and tried to end it, he had to turn off the computer after it started dialing again. I refused to pay the bill, made a big scene to AT&T, the company that billed me, and they sent it back to the company that issued it. Never heard anything more about it. ---
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/7 "2004-03-16T04:36:07Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > [Ad Aware](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/) or [Spybot S&D](http://www.safer-networking.org/) will get rid of the dialler for you. They should also help prevent new spyware installing. There can be a conflict if you try to run both, so pick one or the other. > > Kazaa has spyware built into it. You may have trouble running it after using AdAware or Spybot. If you seriously want to keep using it, perhaps try uninstalling Kazaa first, then running the anti-spyware program, then reinstalling Kazaa. I’ve been running Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D for a while now, and I haven’t noticed any conflicts. What I have noticed, in fact, is that Ad-Aware will detect things that SS&D does not, and vice versa. SS&D also has the added option of stopping spyware from being installed on your computer; I’m not sure if this is an option on Ad-Aware or not. ---
**Author:** ![dakravel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@dakravel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dakravel)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/8 "2004-03-16T05:03:34Z")
Ad-Aware premium has that kind of feature. But in general, you should run _both_ Ad-aware and spybot since they tend to pick up what the other misses. At least in my experience and the experience of many others on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/9 "2004-03-16T05:33:47Z")
> [@Sqube](#): > > I’ve been running Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D for a while now, and I haven’t noticed any conflicts. What I have noticed, in fact, is that Ad-Aware will detect things that SS&D does not, and vice versa. SS&D also has the added option of stopping spyware from being installed on your computer; I’m not sure if this is an option on Ad-Aware or not. That’s why I said _can_ conflict. Personally, I’ve never had a problem running both together. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-up-scam/234562/10 "2004-03-16T15:12:13Z")
**GorillaMan** , I have deleted your link. We do not permit links to or recommendations of file-stealing services. Do not do that again. Consider yourself warned. **seaworthy** , I am sorry for your troubles, but we do not permit threads about how to use or how get the most out of file-stealing services. That includes dealing with bugs, viruses, etc., associated with using such services. This thread is closed. bibliophage moderator GQ