What fresh hell is this?

Ann Drysdale · #1 07-02-2015, 01:45 AM

The home page of Eratosphere has undergone a sea change. Random words are appearing in capitals, bold and blue and underlined, with green arrows superscripted which, if one hovers a tentative cursor declare:

www.ablemuse.com Survey?

Tell us what you think of www.ablemuse.com
and as a “Thank You” we’ll provide you
exclusive offers worth over £50!

Click here to start

And, in small print, bottom right “Ads by WA”

I have not clicked.

These bluenesses are scattered throughout the site, dotted through all the replies in the serious GT threads. Later green arrows promise me moneymaking opportunities beyond my wildest dreams. Interestingly, all sums mentioned are in sterling.

Direct access to both Firefox and Internet Explorer is now intercepted by something called "Dregol Search" but I can get to my bookmarked sites via email links and open fresh tabs from there.

I hope Alex is not inundated with spurious surveys and that someone can tell me how to get rid of this thing.

John Whitworth · #2 07-02-2015, 01:47 AM

Why are you especially blessed, Ann? I don't get this at all.

Ann Drysdale · #3 07-02-2015, 01:51 AM

Oh, good grief - my post above appears to me to be littered with the same click-bait.

I typed the sample out as a word document and pasted it into my post so as not to lift it direct from the page.

Please, if anyone else can see the ghosties, and if it might be dangerous, please tell a mod and remove my post....

Ann Drysdale · #4 07-02-2015, 02:00 AM

John - it has happened in your post, too. On my screen the words Today, Join, Date and United Kingdom appear bold, blue and underlined, and have green arrows.

The first three ask me to take the Ablemuse survey and the fourth invites me to earn huge amounts of money...

Please John - can you see any such thing? I am terrified I might be passing on a disease to the site...

Editing in - within a few moments of the post appearing in the thread, the word "Member" below my name turned blue and offered me money.

ross hamilton hill · #5 07-02-2015, 02:02 AM

It sounds like you have something a bit like a virus, although it doesn't ruin anything, it is attached to your search engine, safari or similar, and is a form of advertising, you need to find the file and delete it, if you find the name of the file google it and there will be instructions for getting rid of it.

Having said that, I am only guessing based on a problem I had, it might be something else, no doubt someone will know.

Ann Drysdale · #6 07-02-2015, 02:39 AM

Indeed, Ross - as I said in my first post, it's called Dregol. Apparently it hijacks IE, Firefox and Chrome.

Because of this, and because I don't trust the search results for removal, I was hoping someone here could give me a step-by-step route to bliss.

But since I seem to be carrying the problem with me, I am anxious not to spread the virus and if safe sex involves deleting my posts, I urge a mod to do it.

John Whitworth · #7 07-02-2015, 02:56 AM

Ann, I am delighted to see I am bold and blue.

Ann Drysdale · #8 07-02-2015, 03:12 AM

John, do you mean you can see the blue capitals and the green arrows on your own screen?

Nausheen Eusuf · #9 07-02-2015, 03:42 AM

Ann, I don't see anything out of the ordinary in your posts, so it must be some sort of virus on your computer. Have you tried running a virus scan?

Nausheen

Ann Drysdale · #10 07-02-2015, 03:46 AM

Running as we speak, Nausheen - 0% so far...

Thanks for the feedback on the appearance of your screen. I feel a bit like a leper, calling "unclean, unclean" till I know I'm not doing danger to others, and you have reassured me.