Beware using bogus URLs accidentally that are other than 'Familysearch.org' - e.g. '.com' as ransomw
LegacyUser
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Steven Ross said: Hi
I am very happy with your site, design and content [albeit detailed data like census records don't retrieve anything due to current circumstances.
HOWEVER, I just want to make you aware that if someone is unfamiliar with your site's URL or, like me [who worked in it FOR 30 YEARS], has a momentary lapse of reason and types FamilySearch.com - a bogus website redirects and declares that 'Norton Antivirus' detects a problem.... this could be ransomware waiting for user input. This is NOT your problem - but your URL is the draw and any variation of your URL should be periodically tested. The bogus 'familysearch.com' URL must have been purchased and the FBI or other law enforcement should be involved.
--- too exit from the ransomware trap - invoke your Task Manager [i.e. alt-ctrl-del keys] and select the browser process/program and terminate the program - you do not click anything on the bogus virus warning screen that way.
I am very happy with your site, design and content [albeit detailed data like census records don't retrieve anything due to current circumstances.
HOWEVER, I just want to make you aware that if someone is unfamiliar with your site's URL or, like me [who worked in it FOR 30 YEARS], has a momentary lapse of reason and types FamilySearch.com - a bogus website redirects and declares that 'Norton Antivirus' detects a problem.... this could be ransomware waiting for user input. This is NOT your problem - but your URL is the draw and any variation of your URL should be periodically tested. The bogus 'familysearch.com' URL must have been purchased and the FBI or other law enforcement should be involved.
--- too exit from the ransomware trap - invoke your Task Manager [i.e. alt-ctrl-del keys] and select the browser process/program and terminate the program - you do not click anything on the bogus virus warning screen that way.
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Tom Huber said: Welcome to the community-powered feedback forum for FamilySearch. FamilySearch personnel read every discussion thread and may or may not respond as their time permits. We all share an active interest in using the resources of this site and as users, we have various levels of knowledge and experience and do our best to help each other with concerns, issues, and/or questions.
Cyndi's List (http://www.cyndislist.com/) has had (they may still have the problem, but I use bookmarked links so do not know) a similar problem with using that popular site to locate genealogical sites. A mangled entry could easily open a porn site with a similar name.
Using sites that have similar names to popular genealogical sites for open a person to a site that is hosting malware is always going to be a problem, unless the affected site goes in and acquires access to all similarly named sites.0 -
joe martel said: I'm not sure what you typed but familysearch.com works correctly and re-directs to familysearch.org0
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Jeff Wiseman said: Steven,
Thanks for the concern and warning. I am not seeing any problem with the ".com" version of the website and I know that it has been redirecting for a couple of years now. I can only assume that FS bought it to avoid such issues and other attacks.
However, I once got the flashback trojan from a bogus Adobe flash player attachment. It behaved in a fashion sort of like what you described. It didn't put up the stick-ups until I attempted to change URLs from where I was.
The give away was that when it reported "Norton Antivirus detects a problem". I do not have Norton installed on my mac (it has a history on the mac of sometimes causing more damage than any malware it prevents :-)0 -
Paul said: Steven
Although there does not seem to be an issue of concern in this particular case, you are right to remind us of the dangers of connecting to look-alike, bogus websites. Thanks.0