Beware of Scam!

Web-surfers, beware! One of my favorite websites, RailPictures.net, greeted me with a nasty pop-up window today. You can see the window below (click on it to see the an image of the pop-up window full-size), it warns you that you many have critical errors on your computer, and that you should click to have your computer scanned.

However, note the link location at the bottom of the full-size window. It points to Casalemedia.com, an advertising company. They want your information. If you give them permission to scan your computer, you may also be giving away your privacy (and although I didn’t get this far, it may also try to install spy-ware). Their website doesn’t mention anything about software to correct “critical errors”, but does boast of their huge database of information. This pop-up window is disgusting in its dishonesty.

I have written an e-mail to the owner of RailPictures.net, asking him why the pop-up is there, and telling him that if it is not removed, I shall consider him to be intentionally disregarding his user’s privacy, and I will no longer use his website. I shall let you know his reply, if any.

Update (2/26/05): if you type Casalemedia into Google, you will find that there are many discussions of the spyware that is installed by Casalemedia, and also some discussions about how to remove it.