-
NEW COMPUTER SCAM-MALWARE
I lost two brand new HP laptops. The first one was brand new I purchased from Best Buy in Kenosha, Wisconsin but did not open the box until mid to late 2025. I took it in to UBREAKIFIX in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kai Knight was my technician and did everything humanly possible to no avail. I purchased a second HP laptop earlier this year. Took it in to Kai Knight at UBREAKIFIX and again, the brand new laptop is no good. Kai Knight told me the motherboard was shot. My wife forward me the video short below about Captcha and Running Malware. After watching the video short I attached below, I will reach out to Kai as well as Sapna and Yogesh and forward this post to see if they see something that may be the cause of me trashing two brand new laptops. Thanks.
-
1 Reply
-
Here is a concise technical summary for Kai, Sapna, and Yogesh.
- I have experienced failures with two new HP laptops and am working to determine whether the cause is power-related, a defective HP batch, hardware failure, or malware.
- I purchased the first HP laptop new from Best Buy in Kenosha, WI in or around June 2022 and did not opened it to start using it until late 2025.
- .The reason I did not opened the HP laptop was because I had a laptop I was using and saved the newly purchased laptop until I needed to replace my existing one.
- When I did open it in mid-to-late 2025, it worked fine for several months.
- However, after several months, things went wrong with it.
- This is when I searched a reputable computer repair shop besides Best Buy Geek Squad and found Kai Knight of UBreakIFix.
- Kai Knight at UBreakiFix in Kenosha attempted several repairs, but the laptop could not be restored.
- I had an older laptop I could use until I purchased a new one.
- I found a new laptop on sale on Amazon and purchased it to get it delivered to my home.
- Upon delivery, I took it to UBreakIFix and Kai and the techs transferred my data and Apps from the broken HP laptop to the new HP laptop.
- They programmed and transferred all my needed data, programs, Apps, emails, and passwords to my new laptop.
- After a few months of using the new HP laptop, things were not going as expected, therefore, I dropped the HP laptop at UBreakiFix again.
- Very ironic that in a 12 month timeframe, I had two brand new HP laptop computers were not working properly and without delay, was taken to UBreakiFix for a complete maintenance, and complete inspection and repair of any or potential system failures.
- Extremely suspect that both newer laptops could not be repaired, and/or refurbished and was advised and recommended by Intake Manager Kai Knight, senior technician Zach and the Chief Technical Team Manager Robert as junk.
- Still seem puzzled on what went wrong and cannot buy the fact it was a mere coincidence.
- Asked a few business associates and tech savvy folks, and most of them suspected and identified the device may be compromised or that my setup is contributed to repeated failures.
After I purchased a second HP laptop, which also required service at UBreakiFix. Kai identified a motherboard issue. Recently, I learned about fake CAPTCHA messages and malware, which raises concerns that my devices may be compromised or that my setup is contributing to repeated failures.
Below are the potential causes I am considering. I would appreciate your assessment of which is most likely. charger or a wrong power adapter
- A power surge, outlet, or electrical issue
- A defective HP model or a bad batch of motherboards
- Damage to BIOS, firmware, or Windows
- There may be an issue with data transferred via my Microsoft account, browser sync, external drives, USB devices, or backup restoration. I am concerned about losing a third laptop and would appreciate your recommendations on the safest steps before setting up another device.
- Assessment, fake CAPTCHA malware can infect a Windows laptop, particularly if a user is deceived into executing commands via Win + R and running them in PowerShell or Windows Terminal.
- Security researchers have documented fake CAPTCHA “ClickFix” attacks that install infostealers and enable remote access to affected devices.
- According to Trend Micro, such attacks may be delivered through phishing, redirects, malvertising, or fraudulent search results, and frequently prompt users to copy and execute malicious commands.
However, malware typically does not cause physical damage to a motherboard in standard HP laptops. Motherboard failure is more commonly attributed to faulty hardware, power surges, incorrect or defective chargers, overheating, liquid exposure, static or electrical faults, charging circuit issues, or manufacturing defects. While malware can compromise Windows, facilitate data theft, and render a computer inoperable, a completely nonfunctional motherboard is almost always the result of hardware or power-related problems.
Kai maybe can discuss some potential solutions with Robert and Zack. The advice I am getting from other technical experts is begin by verifying several key aspects of the new laptop.,
- Test the charger and electrical outlet.
- Confirm the correct HP charger is used.
- Do not reuse the same charger, power strip, or outlet until the issue is identified.
- Do not restore old backups at this stage, as they may reintroduce previous issues through browser profiles, downloads, USB devices, or outdated software.
- Change important passwords on a secure, uncompromised device.
- Prioritize email, Microsoft, banking, administrative website logins, Google, hosting accounts, and password manager accounts.
- If both laptops failed in the same way, this suggests a faulty charger, outlet issue, power surge, or repeated setup and software steps.
- If they failed differently, it may indicate defects in HP.
Additionally, ask if the SSD can be removed and scanned for security. If the drive is functional, proceed with the scan.
The most important question for Kai is, “Did both laptops truly have motherboard failure, or could one or both have had Windows, BIOS, or SSD damage that appeared to be hardware failure?” Answering this will help determine whether the issue is hardware-related or due to setup or malware.
Log in to reply.