Author Topic: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?  (Read 13053 times)

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Offline bob3160

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Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #15 on: July 20, 2021, 12:24:12 AM »
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.
I don't have a clue what you're taking about or are trying to convey in your post.
Those po-ups may be annoying and sometimes misleading but, they certainly don't make the user vulnerable to anything.
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Offline loungehake

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Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #16 on: July 21, 2021, 11:33:33 AM »
I disagree Bob.  Avast is using its own version of what some call 'social engineering' to persuade users to fork out for the Premium product and other paid for goodies.  This likely helps to soften up us users for the real thing.  It desensitises us and so must tend to increase our vulnerability.

The popups remain on screen for 2 minutes.  They obstruct the client area of applications and this can be very distracting when the user is trying to use a complex web site. Two minutes is a long time so popups need to be clicked to get rid of them.

The quality of Avast 'promotional' software is a concern so I am hoping that it is strictly process segregated from the vital stuff.  When I have to uninstall then reinstall Avast to overcome a difficulty in re-registering for further year, I think about quality issues.

What I do need are the core protections and boy are they good!!!!!  I will put up with a lot to receive their vital benefits.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2021, 05:23:04 PM by loungehake »
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Offline Nubnubbud2

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Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #17 on: July 22, 2021, 07:37:51 AM »
I don't have a clue what you're taking about or are trying to convey in your post.
Those po-ups may be annoying and sometimes misleading but, they certainly don't make the user vulnerable to anything.

they're misleading. they spread misinformation, confusing people who don't know enough to not be scared. not only is it abusive conduct, it's unethical and less successful than... actual information. It's similar to Apple's rhetoric. "changing phone parts can be dangerous" they say, tricking people, from their target audience(people who don't have the time or interest to learn advanced tech skills) to legislators and lawmakers, pushing small repair shops, and their own customers to make unneeded, expensive repeat purchases just to keep status quo.

disinformation hurts. The more there is, from any source, the worse it gets and the less people are willing to trust companies, authority, each other, you name it. In the end, the world runs on confidence and trust, so disinformation to make a quick buck is an unethical, dangerous, and self-destructive method.

I, personally, am very put off by paid programs, especially paying, for trying them for the first time, and even moreso for subscriptions, which I hope you understand are easily forgotten and hard to cancel. If I was less technologically inclined and actually believed these pop-ups, my first move would be to realize avast's were paid subscriptions, then my second would be to go online...and see if I could find a free one to download. I wonder where less-technologically inclined me might be in trouble...

besides- now I REALLY don't trust them, because they deleted my other account for asking for the information they sold, and I'm doing my best elsewhere to make sure everyone knows it.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2021, 07:42:38 AM by Nubnubbud2 »

Offline bob3160

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Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #18 on: July 22, 2021, 01:44:54 PM »
I don't have a clue what you're taking about or are trying to convey in your post.
Those po-ups may be annoying and sometimes misleading but, they certainly don't make the user vulnerable to anything.

they're misleading. they spread misinformation, confusing people who don't know enough to not be scared. not only is it abusive conduct, it's unethical and less successful than... actual information. It's similar to Apple's rhetoric. "changing phone parts can be dangerous" they say, tricking people, from their target audience(people who don't have the time or interest to learn advanced tech skills) to legislators and lawmakers, pushing small repair shops, and their own customers to make unneeded, expensive repeat purchases just to keep status quo.

disinformation hurts. The more there is, from any source, the worse it gets and the less people are willing to trust companies, authority, each other, you name it. In the end, the world runs on confidence and trust, so disinformation to make a quick buck is an unethical, dangerous, and self-destructive method.

I, personally, am very put off by paid programs, especially paying, for trying them for the first time, and even moreso for subscriptions, which I hope you understand are easily forgotten and hard to cancel. If I was less technologically inclined and actually believed these pop-ups, my first move would be to realize avast's were paid subscriptions, then my second would be to go online...and see if I could find a free one to download. I wonder where less-technologically inclined me might be in trouble...

besides- now I REALLY don't trust them, because they deleted my other account for asking for the information they sold, and I'm doing my best elsewhere to make sure everyone knows it.
Who is THEY?
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Offline DavidR

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Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #19 on: July 22, 2021, 07:17:50 PM »
@ bob3160
Whoever they are, and whatever they deleted, this user has two avast forum accounts, this one 'Nubnubbud2' is active and the other 'nubnubbud' although not deleted is in effect dormant as the email is no longer correct.
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Offline Nubnubbud2

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Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #20 on: July 30, 2021, 08:44:39 AM »
Who is THEY?

Avast security, or at least their marketing team. I don't know how many times I've seen "you aren't protected" and thought "yeah that's a lie", with no evidence on either side. It definitely normalizes the idea of "warnings are just spam" and "i'm safe on the internet, even if I'm told otherwise"

Don't suddenly begin feigning ignorance, you could read your own posts and know what we're talking about.

@ bob3160
Whoever they are, and whatever they deleted, this user has two avast forum accounts, this one 'Nubnubbud2' is active and the other 'nubnubbud' although not deleted is in effect dormant as the email is no longer correct.
Yeah, i asked for my information via their provided email, and avast's employee said there was no way to track it to me without proof that I had an account, however they have a cookie on my browser collecting my device ID, linked to my browsing information, possibly my account, and my browsing history.

 I informed them of my account name, and that I wanted a copy of my information, and that as per california rulings (both they and I are based in california) i had a right to have them stop selling my information. I was angry at this point, and reminded them that if they would ignore FTC rules that they agreed to uphold, I would file a report. I understand that I probably shouldn't have gotten angry, but to ask for things the company agrees to provide, and get not a single straight answer paired with a canned lie is beyond demoralizing.

Their next email, the moment they were supplied with my account, informed me that my account had been deleted from their servers. They didn't mention my information, so I can only assume they deleted my account and kept my information, selling it still, and thereby making it impossible for me to follow up in any way other than a report, and telling you guys via this new account (i'm unable to log into the old one, my password and email are gone from avast's system.)

I never asked for account or information deletion, only to stop selling my information, and a copy of it. Avast told me it couldn't be linked to my account... so why would my account be deleted, if they were to destroy the information that was collected without prompt? If what they told me was true, deleting my account would do nothing but hurt my ability to purchase their software and trust them. At the very least they don't care for their customers.at worst they may be trying to get away with federal crimes. I really wanted to like avast, but they seem to want nothing but to exploit and gaslight me.
« Last Edit: July 30, 2021, 08:56:26 AM by Nubnubbud2 »

Offline bob3160

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Re: Avast sending me scare tactic notifications. has avast been hacked?
« Reply #21 on: July 30, 2021, 12:50:34 PM »
Your quote is that of DavidR which is not my post.
And I don't need a novel to relay that message.

No one is spying on you.
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