scam

Mon
21
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

How to Fix: Your Firewall has Been Breached, Call This Number (Scam)

Infopackets Reader Robert C. writes: " Dear Dennis, The other day I received a warning that 'Your Avast! Firewall has been breached and a Trojan Horse is infecting your computer. Call 1-888-698-3247.' I'm a computer novice and I panicked. The ... warning seemed to appear as part of the operating system, and not the browser. I say this because the warning appeared on the screen, with a voice screaming at me, and I had no idea how to stop it. I held down the power button to force the computer to shut down. I waited three minutes, then powered back up ... but it went right back to the warning and ... (view more)

Tue
23
Dec
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Microsoft Sues Fake Tech Support Scammers

Have you ever received a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to work for Microsoft's technical support department ? Late last week Microsoft announced that it had sued two technical support companies alleged to have infringed on several ... Microsoft trademarks. According to the firm, these companies called people at home offering support for non-existent problems with the Windows operating system. Microsoft says many people were tricked by the scheme and paid the scammers money for their assistance. Scammers Claim to Represent Microsoft "Defendants have utilized the Microsoft ... (view more)

Tue
09
Dec
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Shop Online? Watch out for Fake Email Order Scam

A new report suggests that hackers are using fake email orders with malicious links to fool victims into installing malware onto their machines. Security experts are therefore warning all Internet shoppers to take extra care when opening their ... emails this holiday season. According to Brian Krebs, a former Washington Post writer who covers cyber crime, the problem is becoming more and more prevalent. "If you receive an email this holiday season asking you to 'confirm' an online e-commerce order or package shipment, please resist the urge to click the included link or attachment, ... (view more)

Mon
01
Sep
Brandon Dimmel's picture

CryptoWall Ransomware Infects 600k PCs: Report

A new form of ransomware has reportedly infected more than half a million computers in the past six months, making its creators an estimated $1 million. Ransomware is a type of malicious software (or " malware ") that takes control of a computer ... system and then holds it for ransom. In many cases, if victims do not pay the ransom, the data on the computer is encrypted and rendered unusable. The ransomware program in question is known as CryptoWall. According to Dell SecureWorks' Counter Threat Unit (CTU), CryptoWall has been spreading rapidly since late last year. In fact, in ... (view more)

Wed
07
May
Brandon Dimmel's picture

Microsoft: 'Windows Support' Phone Scams on the Rise

Microsoft says the number of telephone scams involving fake Windows support technicians is on the rise. That means more criminals are executing schemes designed to dupe legitimate Windows users out of their hard-earned money. Most of the scams ... involve cold callers claiming to work for Microsoft. In this scenario, the victim is told that their computer is infected with some kind of damaging malware. Based on this author's experience, oftentimes the calls originate overseas - usually from India, with the caller having a thick accent. Scammers Sell One-time or Subscription-based "Solutions ... (view more)

Mon
25
Nov
Dennis Faas's picture

Phone Scam Resembles CryptoLocker Ransomware

The new 'CryptoLocker' ransomware scam has been causing havoc online for the past few weeks. But you should also be aware of a similar scam being carried out over the phone instead of through emails. Here's how the scam works: first, targets get an ... unexpected call from an unknown caller located within their area code. If the call is answered, the caller tells the target that they're from a reputable tech firm, such as Microsoft or Dell or even a security company like McAfee or Sophos. Usually the caller claims to be "working with" (rather than for) the named firm, often in the tech support ... (view more)

Thu
19
Sep
Dennis Faas's picture

Florida Text Message Scammers Busted by FTC

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has settled a case against a firm accused of sending 42 million bogus text messages. The texts falsely claimed recipients had won gift cards. An example of the texts, published by the FTC, reads "Dear Walmart ... shopper, your purchase last month won a $1000 Walmart Gift Card, go to www.vCardSpot.com within 24 hours to claim. (NO2cancel)." Similar messages mentioned other retailers, including Best Buy and Target. Not only were the claims completely false, but the retailers mentioned had no involvement in or knowledge of the texts. (Source: nbcnews.com ) ... (view more)

Fri
15
Feb
Dennis Faas's picture

Massive Ransomware Scam Discovered by Police

Europol has arrested 11 people for allegedly posing as the same police organization that has now picked them up. The alleged scammers are said to have posed as Europol in an attempt to trick people into handing over money. Europol is a police agency ... that operates across national borders. The scam is known as ransomware, which involves spreading malicious software and demanding victims pay a fee to have that software removed. The most common version of the scam involves making false claims that files will be deleted from the computer unless the user pays up. Victims 'Fined' For Illegal Content ... (view more)

Mon
24
Dec
Dennis Faas's picture

Beware Amazon Replacement Goods Scam

Amazon has been hit by a simple but sneaky scam involving bogus "lost item" claims that could lead to difficulty for legitimate Amazon shoppers. The problem was highlighted by web development blogger Chris Cardinal, who received several mysterious ... emails from Amazon about an order for an expensive camera. (Source: htmlist.com ) At first Cardinal assumed the messages were part of a phishing scam, which involves tricking people into providing personal information, including log-in data and passwords. However, upon logging into his Amazon account he discovered the emails were genuine. ... (view more)

Mon
08
Oct
Dennis Faas's picture

Scareware Scammer Hit With $163 Million Fine

A woman whose business intentionally scammed computer users by means of bogus security software has been ordered to pay a $163 million fine. Kristy Ross was vice president of Innovative Marketing, a firm legally registered in Belize (likely for ... favorable tax purposes) but actually operating out of Ukraine. The company has been the subject of legal action by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the past four years. (Source: ftc.gov ) Bogus Security Scan Attracted Customers Innovative Marketing's business was actually a scareware scam: placing bogus website ads that pretended to scan a user's ... (view more)

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - scam