Tuesday, 14 December 2010

FixRedirectVirus.org Has Finally Found a Solution For The Google Redirect Virus!


FixRedirectVirus.org is a software program designed to get rid of the Google Redirect Virus from your PC.
This application has been created by a computer technician in the UK who
had his computer infected with the virus. After spending months removing the infection, he created several effective ways to remove it, which have all been included in his popular program.

The "FixRedirectVirus.org" product is a software tool which interactively walks you step-by-step through to a series of high quality tutorials that will explain in layman's terms exactly how to get rid of the Google Redirect infection. The benefits of creating a program like this are that you are continually getting the most up to date techniques to remove the virus (the program is easier to update than a traditional "scanner"), you get to see exactly how to get rid of the virus step-by-step, and the program works on every PC.

After talking with the creator of FixRedirectVirus.org, we found that 100's of people havealready benefitted from this tool and he gets many thank-you emails every day. If you have the Google Redirect Virus, it's definitely worth trying out this solution, and you can see our review on the right panel:

Click Here To View FixRedirectVirus.org




Tuesday, 7 December 2010

Postcard from Hallmark Virus Hoax


By Mary Landesman, About.com Guide

Description:

A hoax. The Postcard from Hallmark virus hoax is a knock-off on the old A Virtual Card for You hoax. It contains many telltale signs of a virus hoax. The Postcard from Hallmark hoax includes a link to a Snopes article which is worded in such a way that it appears the hoax warning is legitimate. It isn't. While greeting card scams do exist, they don't bear any resemblance to what's outlined in the hoax. Following is one example of the Postcard from Hallmark virus hoax:

Example of hoax email:

THIS ONE IS FOR REAL...

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp

Hi All,
 
I checked Snopes (URL above:), and it is for real!!

Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!

You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc `C' of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts It is better to receive This message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it. Shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard disc, where the vital information is kept.

COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.


Remember: Hoaxes are a waste of both time and money. Do your friends and family a real favor and please don't forward them on to others. And if you are tempted to forward something 'just in case', read the article Toxic Excuses instead.

Friday, 1 October 2010

FBI arrests more than 80 cyber criminals after computer virus siphons $3m from U.S. accounts

More than 80 people have been charged in connection with $3million being stolen from American bank accounts by hackers in eastern Europe.

The con artists used computer viruses to steal user names and passwords from unsuspecting victims, and then used the information to siphon off money from their accounts.

Foreign students were used in the heist to open up bank accounts in the U.S., which  were then used to transfer money that had been stolen in the cyber-theft scheme.

Dozens charged in international $3million computer virus scam
Vulnerable: Hundreds of unsuspecting computer users were targeted in a cyber theft scheme that raided $3million from bank accounts using Trojan viruses

In court papers unsealed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, 37 offenders were charged with their roles in hacking into dozens of victims' accounts.

Charges included conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering, false identification use and passport fraud.

Fifty-five others have been charged after a year-long investigation by the FBI.

Attorney Preet Bharara compared cyber criminals to classic bank robbers, saying: 'The mouse and the keyboard can be far more effective than the gun and the mask..
Mr Bharara revealed that the victims of the attacks included five banks and dozens of individuals across America.

Ten people were arrested early today - nine in the New York area and one in Pittsburgh. The others had already been arrested with at least 17 being fugitives.

The FBI said the cyber attacks included malware known as the Zues Trojan, which was typically sent as an email to computers at small businesses and offices.

Once the email's attachment was opened, the virus embedded itself in the victims' computers to secretly monitor their computer activity.

The virus recorded their keystrokes and captured their user names and passwords when they next logged into their online bank accounts.

The Trojan program also stole passwords for email log-ins and social networking websites that ordinarily only the user would know.
Individuals known as 'money mules' were used in the States to actually steal the money from individual accounts.

Mr Bharara said those arrested consisted almost entirely of mules and four people who managed them.

'The Zeus Trojan allegedly allowed the hackers, from thousands of miles away, to get their hands on other people's money - with far less exertion than a safe cracker or bank robber'

New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance said people from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus had come to the States on student visas.

They were then recruited through social networking sites and newspaper ads to fraudulently open hundreds of bank accounts.

The money stolen from the victims would then be deposited into those illegal accounts and transferred in smaller amounts elsewhere.
Authorities said those who actually set up the bank accounts would keep up to ten per cent for themselves, sending the rest to those higher up in the scheme.

Mr Vance said: 'This advanced cyber crime ring is a disturbing example of organised crime in the 21st century - high-tech and widespread.'

Gregory Antenson, commanding officer of the city police department's Financial Crimes Task Force, said the police had shown up at a bank in the Bronx in February to investigate a suspicious $44,000 withdrawal.
This investigation then led them into the international probe that was already under way.
Janice K. Fedarcyk, assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York office, said: 'The Zeus Trojan allegedly allowed the hackers, from thousands of miles away, to get their hands on other people's money - with far less exertion than a safe cracker or bank robber'.


Source:www.dailymail.co.uk


Thursday, 12 August 2010

Online banking virus Zeus v3 fleeces thousands

Computer (Pic:Rex)
Hackers have raided thousands of online bank accounts in a sophisticated sting.

The scammers have stolen about £675,000 from customers at a top high street bank, which remained unnamed last night. About 3,000 people are thought to have been hit between July 5 and August 4 - and the theft is said to be still going on.

Accounts have been raided after people had their computers infected by a new Trojan virus - known as Zeus v3 - as they surfed the net.

Symantec AntiVirus v.10.2 Business Pack Complete Product Antivirus 5 User Complete Product Standard PC 11281457


The company said: "Criminals continuously seek new, sophisticated ways to steal information and money without detection."

Victims of online banking fraud usually have the money refunded.

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news

Below is a selection of quality Antivirus programs.

Symantec Antivirus V.10.0 For Macintosh - Basic Maintenance - 1 Node - 1Year - Price Level F - Mac

Symantec Norton Antivirus V.11.0 Dual Protection For Mac Antivirus - Complete Product - 1 User - Mac, Intel-Based Mac

Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 3 user

McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2010 1 User

Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac

AVG Technologies USA Inc. AV90N24SEN001 Antivirus + Antispyware 9.0 - Windows

Intego VirusBarrier X5 Dual Protection Antivirus - Complete Product - Standard - 1 User - Retail - Intel-based Mac, Mac

Trend Micro AntiVirus + AntiSpyware 2010 Security - Complete Product - Standard - 1 User - Retail - PC

PC Tools Spyware Doctor with Antivirus 2010 Anti-spyware 3 PCs

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

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Thursday, 18 June 2009

How to spot an Email Hoax

Spotting the latest email hoaxes may be easier than you think!

There are thousands of email hoaxes moving around the Internet at any given time. Some may be the latest email hoaxes around. Others may be mutated versions of hoax messages that have travelled the Internet for years. These email hoaxes cover a range of subject matter, including:
  • Supposedly free giveaways in exchange for forwarding emails.
  • Bogus virus alerts.
  • False appeals to help sick children.
  • Pointless petitions that lead nowhere and accomplish nothing.
  • Dire, and completely fictional, warnings about products, companies, government policies or coming events.
The good news is that, with a little bit of foreknowledge, email hoaxes are easy to detect. Hidden within the colourful prose of your average email hoax often lurk telling indicators of the email's veracity.

Probably the most obvious of these indicators is a line such as "Send this email to everyone in your address book". Hoax writers want their material to spread as far and as fast as possible, so almost every hoax email will in some way exhort you to send it to other people. Some email hoaxes take a more targeted approach and suggest that you send the email to a specified number of people in order to collect a prize or realize a benefit.

Another indicator is that hoaxes tend not to provide checkable references to back up their spurious claims. Genuine competitions, promotions, giveaways or charity drives will usually provide a link to a company website or publication. Real virus warnings are likely to include a link to a reputable virus information website. Emails containing Government or company policy information are likely to include references to checkable sources such as news articles, websites or other publications.

A third indicator is often the actual language used. Email hoax writers have a tendency to use an emotive, "over-the-top" style of writing peppered with words and phrases such as "Urgent", "Danger", "worst ever virus!!", "sign now before it's too late" and so on, often rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS for added emphasis. Paragraphs dripping with pathos speak of dying children; others "shout" with almost rabid excitement about free air travel or mobile phones. As well, some email hoaxes try to add credibility by using highly technical language.

Before forwarding an email, ask yourself these questions:
  1. Does the email ask you to send it to a lot of other people?
  2. Does the email fail to provide confirmation sources?
  3. Is the language used overly emotive or highly technical?
A "yes" answer to one or more of the above questions, should start some alarm bells ringing. These indicators do not offer conclusive evidence that the email is a hoax but they are certainly enough to warrant further investigation before you hit the "Forward" Button.

Source: www.hoax-slayer.com




Wednesday, 25 February 2009

The Hallmark e-card virus - A Hoax?

Is The Hallmark e-card virus a Hoax?

There are various opinions on this subject, some caliming that it is a hoax, others that it is true. This blog only provides information from reputable sources. Below is an article on the subject from Web User, UK's best selling internet magazine.


Virus hidden in Hallmark e-card


"Surfers should beware of opening emails purporting to be from the popular card company Hallmark as they may carry a virus.



Security firm MessageLabs has intercepted emails from 25,000 IP addresses containing a new virus that arrives from the sender postcards@hallmark.com with the subject line, 'You've received a Hallmark E-Card!'

Along with the email there is an attachment entitled postcard.zip. If opened a Trojan virus will attach itself to the hosts computer and recruit it for a botnet, a web of infected computers.

According to MessageLabs the emails were sent in bursts with a surge of the malicious emails detected on 23 July.

This latest bout of malware is a variation of the Storm botnet which popularised postcard/e-card attacks last year. Web User reported on a similar scam just last month.

"As long as recipients continue to fall for these old tricks, malware authors and spammers will continue to use them," according to Matt Sergeant of MessageLabs."


The following is what Hallmark themselves have to say on the subject.


"How to retrieve legitimate Hallmark e-cards and identify fradulent e-mails



Consumer security and the integrity of our brand are of great importance to Hallmark. Occasionally, we are made aware of fraudulent e-mails and other deceptive practices, such as the postcard virus currently circulating, which we take very seriously. While Hallmark's legal team addresses these concerns, we want our consumers to be aware of how to spot a fraudulent e-mail, which may contain major greeting card company names such as Hallmark.

These fraudulent e-mails do not originate from Hallmark. The Hallmark name has been used by a third party. All legitimate Hallmark e-cards can be retrieved at www.hallmark.com/getecard with the code provided. A legitimate Hallmark e-card will include the name of the sender, a confirmation number and does not include an attachment to download.


Additional Information


Downloading attachments in these fradulent e-mails could download a virus onto a computer that compromises personal data. Here are steps consumers can take to reduce the chances of this happening:


Delete the e-mail without opening it.


If you have opened it and want to forward it to us, send it to abuse@hallmark.com. Due to the large amount of e-mail we receive at that address we will not be able to reply to your e-mail, but we will investigate. Then delete the e-mail from both your inbox and your sent folder. If you click on the link in the bogus e-mail, you will launch a Trojan virus. This virus installs an Internet Relay (IRC) chat client and causes the infected computer to connect to an IRC channel. Attackers then use that connection to remotely command your machine for the purpose gathering your personal information. An example of this virus is the Zapchast virus.


If you use Windows XP and Internet Explorer you should visit update.microsoft.com to update your browser and operating system. Then you will be less likely to be affected by the virus.


Report suspicious e-mail to your e-mail service provider so they can take action.


File a complaint at http://www.ic3.gov/.


If you are unsure if you’ve received a legitimate Hallmark E-Card, don't click on a link in the e-mail. Instead locate the EG number in the e-mail and use our E-Card pickup.


What Hallmark is doing:



Contacting the Internet providers identified as the source of the spam requesting that they shut down the imposters.


Working with Microsoft to include the virus code in their phishing filter to protect consumers who use their web browser and e-mail client software.


Working with anti-virus software corporations to get the virus code added to virus definition updates.


Reviewing Hallmark's E-Card notification and pickup procedures.


Educating consumers about how to avoid E-Card abuse.


How to tell if a Hallmark E-Card notification is real:


Hallmark e-card e-mails do not include any attachments. To be safe if you receive an e-card notification with an attachement delete it immediately, then empty your "trash" or "deleted e-mails" from your email client.


The sender's first name and last name will appear in the subject line. If you do not recognize the name of the person sending the E-Card, do not click on any links in the e-mail. Delete the e-mail.


The notification will include a link to the E-Card on Hallmark.com as well as a URL that can be pasted into a browser.


The URL will begin with http://hallmark.com/ followed by characters that identify the individual E-Card. Hover your mouse over the words "click here" in your e-mail. If you do not see the URL above, it is not a legitimate Hallmark E-Card.


Hallmark E-Cards are not downloaded and they are not .exe files.


In addition, Hallmark.com will never require an E-Card recipient to enter a user name or password nor any other personal information to retrieve an E-Card.


If you are unsure if you’ve received a legitimate Hallmark E-Card, don't click on a link in the e-mail. Instead locate the EG number in the e-mail. Then go to hallmark.com, click on the "Cards & E-Cards tab," and then on "Pick Up an E-Card" link from the dropdown menu and enter the EG number to retrieve your card.


E-mail Safety Tips:


Don’t open e-mails you know are spam. A code embedded in spam advertises that you opened the e-mail and confirms your address is valid, which in turn can generate more spam.


Don't open e-mails from unknown senders.


Don’t open attachments in e-mails unless you are expecting to receive one. If you receive an attachment that you are not expecting, even if it’s from someone you know, first read the e-mail and make sure the attachment is legitimate. If you’re still not sure, call or e-mail the sender to confirm, but do not reply to the original e-mail.


Don't click on links in e-mails that appear to be from financial companies (PayPal, banks, credit card companies, etc.) that direct you to verify or confirm account details. Instead, call the company if you are concerned about your account."