I messed up and clicked on the IRS email telling me I had agreed to accept email messages from the IRS. It was a phishing attack.
Nothing happened for a day or so. Then Malbytes Anti-malware reported an app sending info to a .de (German?) address. It made repeated reports. Uninstalling the app resulted in it getting reinstalled. Sometimes a Microsoft operating file was identified. Presumably a subroutine reinstalled the app. The app also resulted in repeated loss of internet connection.
The IRS has info on this virus. Some say it can be ransomware.
After a while my internet began to fail. I could not get on. User names and passwords got garbled. I have an iPad that runs on Wifi. It also would not connect to internet.
I ran Ccleaner and Malbytes and windows antivirus. None found anything.
I took it to Best Buy. For $180 they will maintain all your devices for a year.
Fortunately I was able to get an old laptop running. Once I reset my cable modem and
router (wifi) internet service returned to normal.
Was faulty ransomware. They did not maintain a method to contact me. Rather than encrypting everything, they apparently garbled transmissions at the modem.
My back system seems to be working. I use K-replicator to backup everyday to Sandisk. The disk seems to have my backup files intact.
Laptop is not yet back from Best Buy but so far seems to be ok after time recovering things.