topic Re: Blocked from Survey sites for using VPN and Google Flagging Unusual Traffic - I'm not using VPN in Broadband

Blocked from Survey sites for using VPN and Google Flagging Unusual Traffic - I'm not using VPN

JohnH68 — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 13:55:39 GMT

Recently, I was banned from using Prolific for no reason (they won't say why). Then on another survey site the survey wouldn't load and I got a message saying if you're using a VPN disable it.

Last night, Google wouldn't let me do searches unless I did a Capture. It kept happening and has never happened to me ever in all my years of computing. I checked my Network settings on Windows 11, and I'm not using a VPN or Proxy. Something weird is going on.

The Google Message was along the lines of: our systems have detected unusual traffic from your computer network.

I was not spamming search and it was happening on my Android Phone and on Windows 11 Desktop Chrome Browser. I'm beginning to wonder if I've been hacked, but Windows Defender is finding nothing. It's all too much of a coincidence that all these things are happening recently.

Does anyone have any idea what's happening?

Cheers

Re: Blocked from Survey sites for using VPN and Google Flagging Unusual Traffic - I'm not using VPN

Highlinder — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 17:53:35 GMT

@JohnH68 Through out all of this have you re-started your router at anytime?

Re: Blocked from Survey sites for using VPN and Google Flagging Unusual Traffic - I'm not using VPN

JimM1 — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 18:03:32 GMT

@JohnH68 Are you a software designer working from home on AI projects!

Re: Blocked from Survey sites for using VPN and Google Flagging Unusual Traffic - I'm not using VPN

JohnH68 — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 18:19:58 GMT

Thanks for your responses so far.

I'm not working on AI, but have done studies with AI's and am working through a Web Dev course on freeCodeCamp.

I have restarted my router. In fact, working with ChatGPT I noticed 2 UNKOWN devices and the MAC Addresses couldn't be found on a site that checks them. ChatGPT thought they were suspicious so recommended I change my WiFi and Router passwords which I did.

That removed the Unknown devices, but I haven't been able to ascertain if the problem is fixed.

There have been no available surveys on Testable Minds, so I can't test if that problem has gone away, but I haven't had anymore warning messages from Google.

If I find anything conclusive I will report back.

Thanks again for your input.