How to???

[Chuck Leeper]

Is there a program I can install on my PC to prevent companies from accessing what sites I visit??
I'm noticing that many times, even if I don't complete a visit, once I clik on the addy, later on I see ads from that company as popups...
IE: Looked for some blinds for the house. Now I see their ads every time I get on line....
Is this also known as "pfishing"??

 

[TurboTGuy]

I will preface this comment with a BIG "To the best of my knowledge".

Phishing usually appears as an e mail from an "official" appearing site, one you might trust like a bank or credit card company. It will use a scare tactic like "an unauthorized transaction resulted in a hold on your account" or "Your account may be at risk". It will then ask you to click on a link and will at one point ask for your personal info. Stop here and CALL the institution that is "supposedly" contacting you.

A good way to detect a Phishing scam is to use your mouse to drag your pointer over the link address provided (don't click on it). If it has any name in the link other than the "official" sites name attached or included in it, it's likely a phishing scam.

Remember, banks and credit card companies will NEVER ask for personal information via e mail contact. They will always ask you to call them.

What you are seeing are just pop up ad's generated by the websites advertising software, it detects what you last searched for and generates ads of a similar or the same product as pop ups on home site banner pages.

 

[charlief1]

You need to get superantispyware or a simular program Chuck. When you go to a site it installs "cookies" and most of them track your movement and help sites to load specific adds up. They're called tracking cookies btw.

 

[Red C5]

The simplest work around is to use a browser like Firefox with a ad-blocker installed. What you're seeing are just ads that use information from cookies/history.
I use Firefox and I see no ads at all on websites. It's free, easy, and quick.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

I'm on Firefox.... I guess I need to look at how it's set up, and make changes.

Thanks!

 

[John Larkin]

Those pesky Viagra ads ARE annoying.

 

[Madcat455]

I use Firefox, and usually browse in "private browsing" mode. It'll remember cookies for that session only, and delete everything (cookies, history, etc) when I close it out.

 

[aminga]

Block all third party cookies.

 

[charlief1]

Block all third party cookies.

That's a new one on me Al. Doesn't it give you some loading issues?

 

[aminga]

That's a new one on me Al. Doesn't it give you some loading issues?

It shouldn't. Cookies are useful and are needed for a lot of things but the useful ones are the ones that a site directly sets. Everything else. Sites that a third party site not affiliated with your computer or the site you're on shouldn't affect things.

The web beacon and tracking cookies all originate from third party sites.

If you don't want to block them completely you can have firefox delete them after a period of time.