Here is a different twist on the fake Police Threat Scam (in which a malware pops up a screen saying the police or FBI have determined there are copyright or pornography violations on your computer and it can be "cleaned" for a fee).
In the Fake Help Desk Support Scam, the victim will receive a call from "Microsoft" or some well-known virus protection software company, saying the victim's computer has a virus and for a fee, they will be able to clean it off their system for them. They are general about what virus at first, because they are testing the victim to see if they believe the story. They are seeking those vulnerable people who are not technical and would otherwise not know if they have a virus or not AND believe some company was nice enough to call them and offer to help fix it. That is who they are targeting. They are after three things at one time - the cash, getting access to the computer for identity theft, and being able to install malware on the victim's system that does things for them in the background, like send out spam or infect other computers.
This is not a new scam but continues to be a successful one with victims losing thousands of dollars at a pop sometimes so we are posting an alert a separate alert on it.
Real Help Desk Support people do not call people who have not first called in to ask for help.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Looks like this one is still making the rounds. Here is a news clip that was just posted:
ReplyDeleteThe FBI has warned computer users to ignore a fake message, purportedly from its officers, that freezes people's screens and demands they pay a fine for visiting inappropriate websites.
'We're getting inundated with complaints,' said Donna Gregory from the US Internet Crime Complaint Center, referring to the virus known as Reveton ransomware, which has hit users globally.
'Some people have actually paid the so-called fine,' she said, describing the virus as 'drive-by malware' that installs itself when a user clicks on a compromised website and issues a message saying a federal law has been broken.
'The bogus message goes on to say that the user's internet address was identified by the FBI or the Department of Justice's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section as having been associated with child pornography sites or other illegal online activity,' the FBI said in a statement on Thursday.
'To unlock their machines, users are required to pay a fine using a prepaid money card service,' it said, accompanied by reports from victims who had paid fines of $US200 ($A190).
Gregory, however, said there is no easy fix for users whose computers have been infected.
'Unlike other viruses, Reveton freezes your computer and stops it in its tracks. And the average user will not be able to easily remove the malware,' she said.