Good afternoon jj...You now have me wondering if a 'nastie' has got into your computer.
I think you should give a scan with the free edition of Malwarebytes.
Download the installation file and install from your Downlaods folder. Do Not accept any offer for a trial of the Premium edition or anything else on offer.
https://www.malwarebytes.org/
It can take as long as an half hour or more to do a scan. It depends on how much stuff you have in your Computer/Laptop.
Have a try and let me know what evolves from a scan with Malwarebytes.
Hans.