Virus scams can scare cash out of you: Online crooks use nasty programs to … – Charleston Post Courier
Global crime rings are cooking up increasingly sophisticated forms of "scareware" and other hacks, fueling a surge here and across the country in scams that frighten people into buying fake anti-virus programs.
Despite two recent international stings, cyber-crime groups have bilked millions of dollars from people who gave them their credit card numbers, the FBI said. Locally, computer repair shops report an influx of people trying to remove scareware and other malicious programs from their computers.
"I've done 10 computers in the last week alone, all of which were infected," said Magge Williams, who runs Computers & Networks LLC on James Island. She estimated that 85 percent of her work is virus and malware removal, with half involving what she calls "ransomware."
These scareware programs work like this: When you come across a Website, a screen pops up that says your computer has been infected, and that you can get rid of the virus if you buy the antivirus software advertised in the box.
"Unless you know what to do next, it's often too late," said Jamey Mellis of Software Solutions & Design and host of a local cable-TV computer show. "If you click anywhere in the box, it downloads the payload. It's basically one big button that says, 'please infect me.' "
His advice: Use the ALT f4 key to shut off the browser, or turn off the computer entirely. He said eight out of ten machines that come through his shop have viruses and malware. "The screens (featuring the anti-virus ads) are getting better and better."
Report a scam
To report an e-scam to the FBI, go to www.ic3.gov.
Other creepy computer things out there:
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Federal officials say they've received more than 50 complaints reporting extortion emails, mainly to physicians saying complaints would be posted online claiming they were facing prison time unless they paid a fee.
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Cyber cranks also are circulating email attachments that claim to be from the FBI. The email threatens that if the recipient doesn't respond immediately, FBI Director Robert Mueller "will have an agent come visit you at home for questioning." The letter urges recipients to send $250 for a "clearance document."
Once the malware has been downloaded, it can reconfigure your system to prevent normal anti-virus programs from working properly, Williams said. Or it can scoop up personal information.
Williams said she recently discovered that a local medical services company's computers were infected with programs that log users' keystrokes. These programs enable hackers to identify social security numbers and other data when workers key in the numbers.
The company had the viruses even though it had a popular anti-virus program installed. She said she's seeing problems in PCs and Apple computers. The cost of removing the malware and viruses can be $150, plus another $100 in new software.
She describes this malware as a new form of vandalism. "It's intimate, and it's coming in spades."
Federal and international police agencies have had a few recent successes in stopping some of the cyber-crime rings.
Last month, authorities busted one based in the Ukraine that stole $72 million from an estimated 960,000 computer users.
A second ring based in Latvia and Cyprus bought ads on a Minneapolis newspaper's website. Once the ad was posted, the cyber thieves hacked into the ad and changed the computer code. When computer users clicked on the ad, it downloaded scareware programs onto their computers. The scam bilked people out of an estimated $2 million, the FBI said.
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