Fake Epic Games Website?

[Derealized]

The other day, i woke up somewhat early in the morning, i was looking forward to spending some time on my PC. This is a fairly recent build, so I'm still setting things up as i go along, installing this and that accordingly. On this morning i decided to install the epic games app, even though I've never really played the games, and i do not like epic all that much (staying on topic). I've still been claiming the free games for years. just because.
Anyway. Because i was not fully awake yet, i might not have payed close enough attention. I googled "Epic Games". The first link that came up looked legit, i didn't see any other options, so i went to the site. Everything appeared normal. I went to download app at the top. And once it finished, i figured it's probably just an installer, right? So I'll just unzip it to desktop.
That's where it all went wrong. My desktop flooded with icons and i quickly lost control, everything ran very slowly and my cpu was working 100%. Just a big mess, my morning was ruined.

I've been on computers since the 80s, built them since the 90s... but I'm not a pro when it comes to windows. My guess was that i went to a phony epic site and this was a virus. I've since brought it to someone to have them fix it for me. But what you all think of this? I'm going to use the windows store for this sort of thing from now on, paying much closer attention to what comes up in search.

 

[Vexicrypt]

Oh damn thats scary. I wouldn't ever thought that simply downloading and installing a well known launcher can be dangerous, so thanks for the warning. I only use Steam but at some point I'll need to install Epic and GOG to access some games I have there and now I'll be extra cautious.

 

[Spike's iconSpike]

what was the url can you check your history?

 

[Dany28]

I don't like Epic Games, I think it's just a Steam clone.

 

[qw90700]

Compared to even the 2010s the internet is relatively safe now yet naturally it's no malicious-free so as a user you'll always have to fact-check and stuff.

Web browsers have improved so you can use addons to avoid BS on the internet that, for example, even adblocker plugins helps on BS on the internet being blocked away. In that context Google is very improved.

However a big weakness of Google is the way it try to use your search history for the search results it comes up with. When you have not enough search result the Google system has no idea what to bring as search results. It's when Google, despite they try to make interest a safe place, may bring fake websites because the system has no idea what to show you so it exactly shows what you searched. This is when a precise way to Google search becomes a necessity.

I don't blame you and won't mean it as it's your fault but just an example if the user had search "epic games app" the system would comprehend it as "some good video games and app for it", so the system may not actually connect what you meant as "Epic Games Store's launcher app". Only if you made enough search and entered websites for a while only then the system would get "you have a video gamer profile" there when I search the same words whatever related to Epic Games populates even the first 5 pages of my search result lol.

Then it brings us the difference on how even the web browser matters. I don't think Google would be that useful if you don't use Google Chrome even if you sign into Google unless your Google search history turned on. Mine is turned off yet I use the benefit of Chrome.

In the end best way for security is being vigilant but sometimes even being a Terminator is not enough!!! It just sucks that it happened to you that can happen to anyone despite how experienced and vigilant we are. No one is perfect after all.

 

[Vexicrypt]

I don't like Epic Games, I think it's just a Steam clone.

And a bad one at that, but free games is free games

 

[RustySK]

Oh damn man, sorry that happened to you. Do you still have the URL of that site in your browser history?

I had something similiar happen to me once when I was like 14 or so when I downloaded some version of media player.
Back then it was some kind of bullshit phishing group that used the data they stole to send me some vaguely official looking legal threats that were supposed to scare me into sending them money.
Luckily I eventually broke down and asked my parents for help and they managed to resolve the matter. Still, awful.

With stuff like this I usually end up worrying about my grandparents and uncles - if even more or less internet savvy people can stumble into a scam like that, what chance do they even have? Scammers are the absolute worst.

 

[qw90700]

And a bad one at that, but free games is free games

Partner, me granpa back in 1880s used to say "boy, would you enter a free grave just because it's free?". In the wild west and under hot sun of Mojave what helped me the most was ain't me trusty boys Smith & Wesson, not even me cowboy hat but the wisdom of me granpa that was more striking than dynamite! lolol