Pop-ups locking out my browser: Scam!
There is a common browser scam in which a website can lock your browser session. The page typically will prompt you with a login prompt or Accept or OK button but no matter what click on the page remains active. A popular scam is the Tech Support Pop-Ups where the ad tells you that your computer has a virus and to call a tech support number.
Here are the steps to get your session back (Windows users):
- Press <ctrl><alt><del> and from the Task manager select your browser, and stop the task
- when you re-open your browser it will prompt you to restore the session. DO NOT restore your session, leave it closed and that by default will open a clean browser session (browser features may vary between versions but basically follow these steps).
There are some pro-active methods to help minimize these issues:
- Check your unknown URL’s using VirusTotal
- Use Adware Plugins in your browser (See: Ad Block Plus, uBlock Origin, and Privacy Badger )
- Use a Windows Sandbox program that separates your Browser from the O/S (Sandboxie)