Facebook says my PC has malware-wants me to scan with ESET

mnorian

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Facebook says that my pc has malware and wants me to download ESET ONLINE SCANNER. Here is the message I got when I tried to log in. I had just shared a link from a google image search for a wallpaper gif that was animated; could this had confused the FB robot malware sniffers? I worry more what this scanner might do, then some malware. As I had just hit the share button on the gif; it wouldn't be in my computer anyway. Anyone ever used this scanner?

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mnorian

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Update: I went and did a scan; of the animated gif and also a link to "Grace to you; with John MacArthur" a Christian web site I had shared with FB ; with Virustotal which is an embedded app with Slimjet (a right clip brings it up). The gif was scanned and said it was 100% clean; the web site; it takes an aggregate of, no less then 71, anti-virus/malware url scanners; and it came up clean. My computer was just scanned yesterday by MSE; so I don't think I want FB's henchmen messing with it; they might find something that if i will send them $199.99 they can fix my computer; and until I do; my PC will be inoperable; it's happened before. Am I just paranoid?
 
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mnorian

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Here is an article by Pcworld about ESET:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2854...canning-options-with-eset-online-scanner.html

The part I don't like is what FB'S Gowda said:

"Here’s how it works: if the device you’re using to access our services is behaving suspiciously and shows signs of a possible malware infection, a message will appear offering you an anti-malware scan for your device,” said Chetan Gowda, a software engineer with Facebook’s Site Integrity Team, in a blog post. “You can run the scan, see the scan results, and disable the software all without logging out of Facebook—making it seamless and easy to clean up an infected device.”

You can "disable the software" or, possible you wont be able to log back in to FB; no mater if other AV scanners say your PC/device is clean.
 
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mnorian

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Been doing a lot of reading online about this FB required scanning; no consensus of is it good or bad; but two of the scanners they had working for them were McAfee and Microsoft Security Essentials; Which MSE is the one that I use and gave my PC a clean bill of health; McAfee was found to not run a scan for malware/viruses; but scan to see if your PC had an anti-virus program and then to aggressively sell you theirs.

Checked in to see if FB had decided that maybe my PC was clean enough for their pristine site and they had another scanner to try; Trend Micro HouseCall:

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One site said it was a conflict between Chrome type browsers and FB'S AV software; so I tried Edge last night and it logged on with no trouble! FB looks completely different using Edge; but it got on to see what's happening with my family and the pictures they post; that's the only reason i put up with FB's shenanigans.
 
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paul1149

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This sounds like an ad campaign by FB, pure and simple. Otherwise they would give you a list of sites you could use. They are selling ad space to the various AM's. Why there's an exception for Edge, I don't know. Facebook is malware.
 
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My Shalom

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I was visiting a friend when they tried to log onto their FB account. The site said they were locked out due to a security measure FB had applied to their page. FB then said that in order to get back in they'd have to send her a code to her registered email account and asked her approval. She gave it. She followed the instructions and it didn't work. This then generated an automatic email to her address which she learned because she had that other browser window open. That email stated she'd have to prove her identity by scanning any two of the following listed forms of "acceptable" ID.
This included her State driver license, a current month utility bill, or bank statement.

I agree, FB is malware. She never went back and of course she never complied with FB's terms to let her back onto her page.
I think FB is now at a point where they're testing the gullibility of their members being people so openly share the most private stuff there now.
 
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Wookiee

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For the record I wouldn't trust MSE as far as I can throw it (nor the consumer-variants of Trend). I've never seen Facebook do that before (or heard of it before now), but I also have ad-block installed.

You may want to go through and double check the add-ons/extensions you're using in your browser (maybe disable all of them and see if it operates differently). It could be picking up on one of those (and many antiviruses may not detect it).

If you notice strange activity, you may want to install and run the free version of Malware Bytes Anti-Malware. It's pretty good at removing a lot of stuff a lot antiviruses miss.
 
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mnorian

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I have heard on the web and it makes sense; that the reason Slimjet is having problems with connecting to FaceBook is because it has an ad blocker; and Edge doesn't so can get on with it. Ads are what makes FB's billion's of dollars come pouring in; so I bet'ch if I did a scan with their scanners it would find a problem in SJ. I did get an alert from Windows Defender that I had a malware; it scanned the HD and said it cleaned it all out; but FB still wants me to run their scanner; but as long as I can get on with Edge; I don't think I will.
 
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My Shalom

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I checked the Malware Bytes website. The free version is very limited in what it offers and which does not include live time protection to stop an infection getting into your machine. The free version scan would find something after the fact. :(
 
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Wookiee

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I checked the Malware Bytes website. The free version is very limited in what it offers and which does not include live time protection to stop an infection getting into your machine. The free version scan would find something after the fact. :(

I meant to mention that MBAM Free is good to have in conjunction WITH an antivirus. It finds a buttload of stuff, much of which generally gets past any other antivirus. Generally just spyware and garbage that is not good to have.

The reason for these is they technically aren't viruses and (I'm guessing) have some technically legitimate "I'm real software". But as a general rule, if MBAM and Spybot detect them, you do not want them.
 
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Wookiee

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Spybot and MBAM can work together without issues? How do they work with Windows Defender?

Spybot and MBAM aren't real time, you have to run them manually (or at least, this was the case with Spybot 1.6, I don't know if that's changed in version 2). This isn't an issue with real time antivirus scanners (unless they happen to scan at the same time, but you can stop the second scan).

Windows Defender will work independently of the two, but I wouldn't recommend WD/Security Essentials anyway (still they are better than nothing). You can have all three installed at the same time and run MBAM and SB every so often to clean up anything that may be causing problems. Generally a lot of dodgy browser extensions/add-ons will get past a typical antivirus but will be removed by MBAM and Spybot.
 
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mnorian

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I got a new Lap Top for an early Christmas present; so went ahead and did the Facebook scan; figured I had nothing to loose. It was anti-climatic as it found no malware (Windows Defender cleaned it up last week) and I was able to get on with Slimjet.
 
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High Fidelity

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First off, gold star for sharing MacArthur!

I don't know where you live but I know in the UK almost all banks offer free anti-virus. Mine offers Kaspersky and I like to think I am pretty tech-savvy and it is by far the best I have ever used and it's one I will always continue to use. Norton is another decent one but I don't think I'd be prepared to pay for it but if it's offered free then take the offer for sure.

Either way, check around your bank site and particularly the online banking section(the main reason it's offered is to limit getting infected and in turn having your online account tampered with) and see what, if anything, is available.
 
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Oh and on a final note, you are not paranoid at all. So many things nowadays hijack your system or browser and install things that are simply a pain to remove. Even most legitimate products you can't just use the recommended install anymore because they include junk you would normally just uncheck the box; something you now have to do in the advanced install option.
 
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