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Click on known link, go somewhere else

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Basically, several times recently, I have clicked on a trusted link but gone to an unrelated site. My computer was professionally decontaminated of viruses yesterday. I had the System Care Antivirus virus. This morning, it happened again. I clicked on a USPS Print Postage link, and I was taken to some car repair site. I am now running a Malware removal scan again, even though the last two scans came up clean. Does anyone know what could be redirecting me?

Basically, several times recently, I have clicked on a trusted link but gone to an unrelated site. My computer was professionally decontaminated of viruses yesterday. I had the System Care Antivirus virus. This morning, it happened again. I clicked on a USPS Print Postage link, and I was taken to some car repair site. I am now running a Malware removal scan again, even though the last two scans came up clean. Does anyone know what could be redirecting me?

All Replies (5)

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Is this happening on a desktop computer because this thread is tagged as mobile/android?

Do a malware check with some malware scanning programs on the Windows computer.
Please scan with all programs because each program detects different malware.

Make sure that you update each program to get the latest version of their databases before doing a scan.

You can also do a check for a rootkit infection with TDSSKiller.

See also:

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It is on a Dell desktop. I am writing from my iPad. I have been using Malwarebytes. I am doing full scans. They are turning up clean.

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Does this problem affect links in search engine results only?

Make sure you are using Google and not another search site by running the Search Reset extension:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/searchreset/

Disable ALL nonessential and/or unrecognized extensions here:

orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons > Extensions category

Also try setting No Proxy here:

orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Options > Advanced > Network > "Settings" button

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I only use Google to search, and yes, this is happening from search results. How did you guess? I will follow your instructions above. Thanks.

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Well, here is one that turned up and has been removed: Win32/Medfos.B. It is malicious JavaScript that redirects search queries when you use search engines. It is installed as a malicious Mozilla Firefox extension. Microsoft Safety Scanner found it.