All Hail bcastner
, All Hail!
Hopefully, this thread and this experience will cause a bit of a light bulb to come on for some of the less computer-literate.
This infection is pure social engineering.
Don't believe everything you see in a pop-up on your screen, in an e-mail, etc.
In fact, don't even open unrecognized e-mails. Simply delete them.
You have no unknown benefactor in Nigeria who has died and willed you a large amount of money, if only you could send the cash for the process to be transacted.
You have no virus or other issue with your computer simply because some random and unrecognized pop-up says so, with the "guaranteed cure right here at this link".
Etc.
And when in doubt, don't do it.
Learning from mistakes is a positive experience.
Ignoring mistakes and continuing to make the same ones is strictly a dead-end street, and potentially a ticket to a financial nightmare or identity theft merry-go-round.
It does keep folks busy in this forum, though.