And Just When I Got Back To The Server...

[wonderweiss]

Okay, here's the rundown.

Problem: I lost the USB internet adapter for my computer after I told myself to forget.

Reason: I thought I was getting shut down by the F.B.freaking.I.

Explaination: soooo I was derpinizing on the internet like normal, all of a sudden, POP. A new tab opens that cannot close out that said "you have been accused of blah blah blah 300$ FREAKING FINE EVEN THOUGH I DID NOTHING." I knew I did nothing, but after seeing that, I felt like a murderer in open season. So I did like a criminal and took out the adapter. I hid it and my criminal mind told me to forget where I put it just in case the FBI tried waterboarding it out of me (offensive towards the FBI, sure but at the moment I blamed them for all this). AND THEN I FORGOT. LIKE, DOES THAT SHIT REALLY WORK?! SERIOUSLY?! URRRRRRGH!

So yeah... No taking over the world, saving the world from titans or shiz like that until I: A. Miraculously find it or B. Buy a new one. Either way, a new era of dark ages has come upon me... The bleak period.

I would LOVE input as to anything that happened, because all I can think is that someone redirected their problem to me. And that is a dime of an assumption. Or input on the whole 'telling myself to forget something and actually forget' fiasco.

[PhantomNerifes]

Ok, now this is an important question: did the pop-up say something about paying them $300 as a fine otherwise face criminal charges? this is an important question

[Tenko]

Oh, this crap. Ignore it; do the typical AV scan on your computer, etc.
It's just some malicious ad that managed to probably exploit flash or image displaying thing or something.

[Shimitty]

No, the FBI is not going to waterboard you, it's a scam to get you to pay the sender $300. Welcome to the internet, now go turn your house over and find that cord.

[Luna Pixu]

The FBI or any manner of official legal organisation has no right to do this nor would attempt this in the first place. If you had legitimately committed a crime, said officers and units from said organisation would have already tracked you down personally and arrested you. Neither the police nor the FBI use the internet as a means of arresting or fining a person. They may ban you from using it should your crime be related to the internet but they will never attempt something like this. What you saw on your screen was a massive hoax like Tenshi said. It was easily some manner of malware that could be wiped from your computer. As to how you contracted said virus is up to any man's guess.

How would I know about this? Common sense, small amounts of law study (albeit unnecessary), and overexposure to phishing ads, malicious ads, and malware.
Trust me, there have been times where I have been spammed with things like this. For example, I was spammed to "update my Java" and then partially forced to download a suspicious .exe when browsing certain sites like Yukkuri Wiki. How did I know that it was not an actual Java update? Well, Oracle do not notify you for updates this way. Oracle notifies you to update your Java in your taskbar. Not your damn browser. Same thing goes for Flash Player. Never fall for any thing that says "update Flash Player now".

Just do an anti-virus scan and buy another USB Ethernet Adapter (I'm presuming that's what you had).

[Teshno]

Oh, this crap. Ignore it; do the typical AV scan on your computer, etc.
It's just some malicious ad that managed to probably exploit flash or image displaying thing or something.

Yeah, one of my old computers back in 2011 got fucking bricked.
I was hit by a virus when I clicked the wrong link on a google search, that shit closed everything out and put up a window [Which locked my mouse and disabled my keyboard controls so long as I was logged in] and told me that my computer was being shut down for the illegal viewing of pornography [Which I don't do on that computer. Who looks at porn in this day and age?] and, in order to get control back, would have to pay a $5000 fine.

I just went to my dad and said "This is what happens when my mouse is half-way broken down.". He logged into his admin account on it [This was before I was trusted to have a computer alone.] and eradicated it.


Needless to say, this kind of adware relies on shock and fear to make you pay ASAP. Hell, I think about half of the ones that exist don't even remove it when you pay.