Wasted a whole day and $50 on a fake password manager download

I was setting up a new laptop for my dad and wanted to get him a password manager. I googled 'free password manager' and clicked the first ad link that looked right. Downloaded the installer, ran it, and my antivirus went nuts. It was a fake site that looked exactly like the real one. I spent the next 8 hours cleaning up malware, and I had to buy a proper license for the real software after that mess. The fake one was trying to log keystrokes. I felt so dumb because I should know better than to click an ad for security stuff. It cost me $50 for the real license and a full Saturday. Has anyone else run into a fake download site that was a really good copy?

3 comments

3 Comments

jackson.faith2d ago

Google ads are basically a minefield for fake software now. I got a fake driver update from a sponsored link that looked like the official support page. It took me three hours to realize my mouse was lagging because of a crypto miner running in the background. The level of detail they put into copying real sites is honestly scary. You really have to check the URL ten times before clicking anything.

jana_jones2d ago

It's crazy how even the ads we pay for can't be trusted anymore, right?

the_wesley2d ago

Yeah, checking the URL ten times is the new normal now.