Advice Request Is Avast becoming scareware?

[RaduGL]

I was just notified by Avast that I have a "privacy issue", since my IP address is visible.
Guess I should buy their VPN or something...

Can such ads be considered borderline scareware? What are your thoughts on this matter?

 

[sepik]

Just a marketing "gimmick" to buy their paid version(s).

 

[Bikeman0I17]

Waits to hear the answer as well, as seen that popup a few times myself, then again Avast could be trying to sell there VPN service with that popup

 

[dJim]

That just " a litle agressive marketing " just ignore these kind of emergency privacy msgs.

 

[plat]

Interesting. I looked up "scareware" altho' the name should be self-explanatory. Definition.

Someone who isn't a fan of Avast might think it is pushy advertising and marketing gimmicks preying off the internet privacy thing trending everywhere nowadays. It's scareware if it's fake, according to the wiki. Otherwise, it's ignore-ware.

Edit: again? I'm proofing my post and people post the same things above me at the same time. Wow! So I post really quick or it looks funny.

 

[Threadripper]

They certainly scared me away when they owned a datamining firm, no thank you.

 

[Bikeman0I17]

Yeah might switch away from Avast when 1903 launches possibly, Hard decision though as been using Avast Free since 2006 on all household systems

 

[LDogg]

It's just a way for you to get Avast paid products or use their VPN. There is a way you stop these from appearing.

~LDogg

 

[Threadripper]

You can stop them by preventing an Avast process from connecting to the internet, but if you have to stop a process your antivirus uses to stop ads... it's time to stop using it. I myself used Avast for several years before they went downhill.

 

[LDogg]

You can stop them by preventing an Avast process from connecting to the internet, but if you have to stop a process your antivirus uses to stop ads... it's time to stop using it. I myself used Avast for several years before they went downhill.

Seems anything that Malwarebytes touches, unfortunately go downhill.

~LDogg

 

[RaduGL]

I have activated Silent Mode, maybe it will stop these ads.

 

[Atlas147]

I would argue that most free AVs that offer similar services like VPNs and such also employ similar tactics to make you buy them, but I would consider the way that avast has decided to phrase their ads to seem like an urgent alert highly unethical.

Most users would be able to see this as a scare tactic and know not to worry, however there are still people that would fall for this "scam" and they would be the ones that are most vulnerable to caving into their scareware.

 

[Pat MacKnife]

Block avastGUI.exe in firewall outgoing rule and all ads are gone.

 

[Dave Russo]

If you want a VPN ,you can get way better deals than what Avast offers

 

[Digmor Crusher]

Whats Malwarebytes have to do with Avast?

 

[uduoix]

Friend once called me and ask me if i can come to help him about computer. He used Avast and message was "your data is not secure, buy our product (forgot what is called).
For me this is scamming and Avast should be ashamed. I wonder how many people they rob that way.

 

[oldschool]

This is definitely scammy advertising, but still just advertising. True scareware uses social engineering where the trick is to get the user to click on a malware link.

Easy fix is advised by @Pat MacKnife.

Now, let's see how long this thread can get!

 

[Janl1992l]

i for myself when i use avast from time to time, i always use it in gaming mode. So i do not get any popups at all. It makes all silent.

 

[voyes]

Since using Avast Free with Silent Mode I have never gotten a popup

 

[OhioRebel]

Since uninstalling Avast I've had no popups either!