Author Topic: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?  (Read 13059 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline nubnubbud

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Avast used to work really well for me, but recently whenever it does something, my computer grinds to a halt, and responsiveness is limited to the mouse. Beyond that, I'm continually sent scare tactic notifications like "people can see you" and "your address is *******" and "your IP is ******"  and "you're vulnerable to hackers now", or things along those lines.

not only is the information usually wrong, it's shown up when I've been streaming or in calls with clients, and is really freaking messing with me, even if I know it's false information and all publicly available anyway.

I'm just kidding. I know it's not being hacked. but you know what? I really, REALLY don't appreciate this. My father, older, and with heart issues has come to me, panicked that he'd been hacked, and I had to calmly explain to him that this is how things work now. it's disgusting, and it needs to stop. I can handle this, but at some point, when a prospective client is watching my screen and avast pops up and tells them my personal information and that I supposedly have inferior data protection, it's affecting business, AND BEING A SECURITY RISK. -And I know what you'll say: "just get business protection." well, I considered it. Then the scare tactics started and I stopped considering it. It's been over a year now, and I'm finally sick and tired of it. Avast used to be respectable, but now I have to convince people it's not a virus. I used to evangelize it, now I can't help but demonize it. I got it because I thought proper internet safety should by free, seeing as many places and careers now consider internet access a necessity.

There's this kind of thing called "ransomware" ... and I hate to say it, but the way avast works, suddenly slowing down my computer to a standstill, where I can't even open a webpage, causing program crashes due to limited system resources during updates, telling me I can fix security issues or speed up my computer if I pay them, having a "report performance issue" button that can't be clicked when the performance drops... it's an awfully familiar MO.
« Last Edit: July 13, 2021, 11:17:55 AM by nubnubbud »

Offline Asyn

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 76037
    • >>>  Avast Forum - Deutschsprachiger Bereich  <<<
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2021, 11:22:22 AM »
You can disable the ads in the paid versions: Avast GUI -> Settings -> Personal Privacy
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline nubnubbud

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2021, 11:37:31 AM »
You can disable the ads in the paid versions: Avast GUI -> Settings -> Personal Privacy
well, I disabled the popups, but this popped up when I did. clicking the "resolve now" button just brings me to a really sketchy purchase page.
 

so clearly something is broken here. no reputable anti-malware would give you popups because you turned them off, right? oh and don't worry about the location. they were way off on that so I don't care. if this is the best their antivirus can do I don't wanna touch their VPN with a 10 foot pole XD

and one of the programs the slowdown warning tells me to turn off is windows updates! hell no I'm not gonna turn that off- a changing backend and updating firewall is super important to obfuscating older malware attacks!
« Last Edit: July 13, 2021, 11:40:04 AM by nubnubbud »

Offline Asyn

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 76037
    • >>>  Avast Forum - Deutschsprachiger Bereich  <<<
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2021, 11:45:47 AM »
Well, in short - the ads are basically 'the price to pay' for the free version.
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline nubnubbud

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2021, 12:00:54 PM »
Well, in short - the ads are basically 'the price to pay' for the free version.
well, in short, I guess that means free is a lie.
free means free, not "pay with stress and freedom of mind" or "pay with your information" or "pay through business insecurity". ads are fine. Harrassment, lying, false advertisement, and
I've been loyal for a good decade and a quarter, but avast rewarded my loyalty by lying to me, doxxing me, scaring my loved ones, and being an absolute scumbag. Thanks. Real good deed you did there. I'm totally glad the moment there was something to sell, ethics went out the window.

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=235355.0
it says here that if you have a webcam, avast will use it to scare you. WHAT. THE. FUCK. that... that's wrong. I had to take a class on ethics for my job and... some of the WORST stuff we covered was far more benign than a program using webcams to scare clients into buying protection from them!

Offline Asyn

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 76037
    • >>>  Avast Forum - Deutschsprachiger Bereich  <<<
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2021, 12:11:08 PM »
You can submit your feedback in "About Avast".
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline lukor

  • Administrator
  • Super Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 1884
    • AVAST Software
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2021, 01:03:03 PM »
Hi nibnubbud,
you might find useful the newly added function that hides all (possible, if any ;-) ) popups from avast from screen captures such as live streaming - it's by default on.


Offline nubnubbud

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2021, 01:24:59 PM »
Hi nibnubbud,
you might find useful the newly added function that hides all (possible, if any ;-) ) popups from avast from screen captures such as live streaming - it's by default on.

it was not on, and I've never seen it before... but like I just said, turning it on MADE a pop-up appear.

on the other hand, I looked up FTC rulings on this... and yeah- the scare tactics here already have legislation for them. it's expressly illegal to give false scan information and prompt a purchase, even if it wasn't, it's legally shaky AND beyond unethical to use anxiety and fear to prompt purchases and take advantage of people who don't know better.

Online bob3160

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Probably Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 48524
  • 64 Years of Happiness
    • bob3160 Protecting Yourself, Your Computer and, Your Identity
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2021, 05:13:26 PM »
"it's expressly illegal to give false scan information"
What was false about that information?
I also hate those types of popups but, I don't see anything false about the information.
I also don't see anything dangerous about the information disclosed.
Our ISP already has all of that and lots more information.
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

Offline nubnubbud

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2021, 08:45:59 AM »
"it's expressly illegal to give false scan information"
What was false about that information?
I also hate those types of popups but, I don't see anything false about the information.
I also don't see anything dangerous about the information disclosed.
Our ISP already has all of that and lots more information.
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2014/02/appeals-court-affirms-ruling-favor-ftc-upholds-163-million while I don't know of any law codes, exactly, these kinds of things hold up very poorly under scrutiny, and giving false information or emotionally manipulating people to trick them into buying things they don't need or want is fraud, by definition.

also, they have sold my information, notably what sites I visit, specific timings of actions on the internet that can be used to track my behavior, and what kind of things I'm interested in via things like amazon browsing and youtube videos clicked. I wouldn't be too sour if they didn't have the information needed to track it back to me- and they're selling it, and haven't answered my emails telling them to stop. of course, they only promised they'd stop selling it. they might just be giving it away for free for all I know. one of their buyers is in india. is that why some of those directed scams are coming from there? I can't know- they won't tell me what they have on me, or where it went...despite there being laws requiring that I can receive that information.

it says my sensitive documents are unprotected, but I don't keep financial information on my computer. well, except my resume. but that doesn't count really. it says I have over a hundred gigs of download files, but I only have 11 gigs, but when I click on it, it won't bring me to any sort of explanation. why is it a button if it does nothing?

it even says here, that their tracker will stop companies from getting into your PC, gathering personal info, creating a personal file, and selling it to other companies, with enough information to link data and create a personal profile of information... but THEY CANNOT DO THAT... https://www.avast.com/privacy-policy https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/01/avast-kills-off-jumpshot-the-subsidiary-that-sold-all-your-web-data/ while they do it themselves! look closely, there are tons of cookies they use, some stay active FOR A DECADE, if allowed. I've sent an email asking that they stop selling my data- and radio silence. They have my information, and they're selling it, and they will not stop, even if asked, and the law requires it. they aren't even complying with the laws of the state they are based in. How could I expect them to tell the truth if they won't even speak?

man, avast used to be cool. didn't used to need people saying "well free isn't free" to defend it, didn't sell user data, it was just free, with business and special scan perks if you paid. now they won't even follow the damn law.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2021, 08:53:05 AM by nubnubbud »

Online bob3160

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Probably Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 48524
  • 64 Years of Happiness
    • bob3160 Protecting Yourself, Your Computer and, Your Identity
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2021, 02:22:11 PM »
I guess digging up old information was easier than just answering my question.
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

Offline Nubnubbud2

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #11 on: July 18, 2021, 11:22:17 PM »
I guess digging up old information was easier than just answering my question.
yes, it was- I already had the info up and didn't have to wait for popups. also avast just deleted my account so there's that. sorry for the delay, but this is bullshit. I hate being singled out. what the hell does avast have against me, besides remembering when they respected me?
I'll shorten it because you didn't read what I said earlier.

avast reported over 140 gigs of wasted space in my downloads folder. there was 11 gigs total in both of them. I don't really have a way to check the others, but I clearly can't trust them if the one I can measure is inaccurate.
avast said my location was visible. then failed to report the correct location.
avast said hackers could spy on me using my webcam, then failed to load my webcam. (I don't have one plugged in.)
avast said "your sensitive documents are unprotected" however, avast lacks the capacity to scan for any, so it's a false scan report.

I'm not quite sure exactly how dangerous it is, but I REALLY don't appreciate that they weren't hidden from streams by default for me. As well, if it really isn't that harmful- then why is avast telling me it is, and needs to be fixed? That's my issue with it.

Look, I would gladly pay for avast, but I won't pay for something that feeds me false data or info that I can't trust to begin with, or a company that makes attempts to scare me into buying products. I think that's fair.

Online bob3160

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Probably Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 48524
  • 64 Years of Happiness
    • bob3160 Protecting Yourself, Your Computer and, Your Identity
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #12 on: July 18, 2021, 11:30:02 PM »
I guess digging up old information was easier than just answering my question.
yes, it was- I already had the info up and didn't have to wait for popups. also avast just deleted my account so there's that. sorry for the delay, but this is bullshit. I hate being singled out. what the hell does avast have against me, besides remembering when they respected me?
I'll shorten it because you didn't read what I said earlier.

avast reported over 140 gigs of wasted space in my downloads folder. there was 11 gigs total in both of them. I don't really have a way to check the others, but I clearly can't trust them if the one I can measure is inaccurate.
avast said my location was visible. then failed to report the correct location.
avast said hackers could spy on me using my webcam, then failed to load my webcam. (I don't have one plugged in.)
avast said "your sensitive documents are unprotected" however, avast lacks the capacity to scan for any, so it's a false scan report.

I'm not quite sure exactly how dangerous it is, but I REALLY don't appreciate that they weren't hidden from streams by default for me. As well, if it really isn't that harmful- then why is avast telling me it is, and needs to be fixed? That's my issue with it.

Look, I would gladly pay for avast, but I won't pay for something that feeds me false data or info that I can't trust to begin with, or a company that makes attempts to scare me into buying products. I think that's fair.
It's your computer and your choice.
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

Offline sekgrranin

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 51
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #13 on: July 19, 2021, 11:19:06 AM »
Hello friends

I have been using Avast Free for 11 years without any problem. Nobody works for free, so it is normal that Avast monetizes its publication in the form of commercial proposals, especially since it never impacts my processor or my memory.

Offline loungehake

  • Dummy Half
  • Poster
  • *
  • Posts: 425
  • Come on lad! You've only got 70 yards to go.
Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #14 on: July 19, 2021, 11:07:34 PM »
I believe that Avast makes users vulnerable to scams by creating its own 'warnings' about security.  When an Avast user receives similar warnings from other sources, this weakens a user's perceptions and so makes them more vulnerable through confusion.

It is a great shame that such a magnificent security product as Avast should diminish its gleaming reputation in this way. I implicitly trust Avast to keep my PCs safe but its social engineering puts its users in jeopardy of being victims of social engineering by others.
Windows 10 Pro 22H2 x64, Avast Free 24.1, Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit, Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware