BEWARE TROJAN HORSES!

[m10bob]

This past weekend while Google searching for some downloadable programs for my computer, I hit on a site called "System Tools", and as soon as I went there, my Avast virus detector started going nuts!..It said I was being intruded by a TROJAN and Avast asked if I wanted to kill it or send it to the chest(which it reccomended)..I did try to send it to the chect but for another 2 minutes my cpu continued to whirm and hum of its' own accord, and the screen then filled with a new and different screen, which purported to be a "free scan" of my system.....

The results? All of a sudden, it reported I had acquired at least one trojan and several worms, viruses, etc, which for "just" $69.99 SYSTEM TOOLS would be glad to get rid of for me..

System Tools then asked for all my personal data, credit card info, etc..

I'm not new to computers, but in maybe 13 years on the 'net, this was my first experience with a really serious problem of this nature..

I tried to resolve this issue on my own, to no avail.

I am convinced this particular worm was put together by professionals, driven by cash, (not kids out for a lark.)

Rather than pay Best Buys $199 to get rid of the problem,(with no guarantees mind you), I have chosen to get a new 'puter, very much like the one I have enjoyed the last 2 years..

I am reporting this firm to every agency worthy of having an ear (and a sword), and just wanted to warn my friends here of that firm and its' practices..

I will not be using that 'puter anymore, lest I might risk my friends......

[DuckofTindalos]

Thanks, Bob... Scum like this just need to wiped out.[:@]

[Lützow]

ORIGINAL: m10bob


The results? All of a sudden, it reported I had acquired at least one trojan and several worms, viruses, etc, which for "just" $69.99 SYSTEM TOOLS would be glad to get rid of for me..

This is called scareware.

[Anonymous]

[Deleted by Admins]

[DuckofTindalos]

Anybody else think it's ironic that this thread has now attracted a spambot?

[junk2drive]

Just another day at Matrix. He forgot his link though.

[Josh]

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Thanks, Bob... Scum like this just need to wiped out.[:@]

Agree with you Termie, they really should take lowlife like that out, fast, merciless. (yes I know that's difficult to achieve)

And thanks for the warning Bob.

[HintJ]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ro ... y_software

See if its listed here. Often you can find a link for solutions. Helped me once . . .

[junk2drive]

Bob I think you should get ahold of avast and tell them your story. Maybe you could help them with the old box to find a solution to these things.

My wife gets these things on occasion from MSNBC of all places, but we were always able to hard restart the box and it goes away. Then we scan etc.

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: m10bob

Rather than pay Best Buys $199 to get rid of the problem,(with no guarantees mind you), I have chosen to get a new 'puter, very much like the one I have enjoyed the last 2 years..

Assuming your 'puter isn't ready for the trash heap anyway, it seems a little extreme to junk it just because you may have been attacked or infected by a virus/trojan/worm. You could do a clean install after wiping the drive and then install/run a good AV suite to double check that no root kits were left on the hard drive.

[m10bob]

Gadzooks, I have since learned SYSTEM TOOLS is a "hoax" virus and all those mssgs about danger to my 'puter are half truths..Fact is id did install programs to over-ride all of my .exe commands but the net is full of ways to get rid of this problem without the clean reboot....If left to me, their would be a very severe penalty for cretins that engage in this, and I am thinking of barbed wire and an enema hose.[:@]

[junk2drive]

Enema with a fire hose and gasoline.

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

Enema with a fire hose and gasoline.

That's a start. Internet terrorists is what they are.

[Josh]

My thoughts exactly, internet terrorists.
 
Ofcourse, a firewall or two, an updated antivirus program ( I've been using all sorts of AV programs, not one is 100% secure) and first and foremost; careful surfing.

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: m10bob

Gadzooks, I have since learned SYSTEM TOOLS is a "hoax" virus and all those mssgs about danger to my 'puter are half truths..Fact is id did install programs to over-ride all of my .exe commands but the net is full of ways to get rid of this problem without the clean reboot....If left to me, their would be a very severe penalty for cretins that engage in this, and I am thinking of barbed wire and an enema hose.[:@]

now that i think of it, i recall an incident involving this or a similar adware attack. Got a sudden popup that declared in flashing lights that a virus had been detected on my system and that i had to click on the button to start an immeidate scan and cleanup. I just chuckled and closed the browser. What i find more annoying is when you access a public FTP site for a file and they intentionally make the download page confusing and misleading so that.....if your not real careful and read closely......you might click the DOWNLOAD link that is actually for a program advertised on the page by a sponsor. I made that mistake once.....and found myself on an entirely new page asking for my credit card to download their great new tool. Much more careful now.

On the clean install......its extreme....yes but the big danger after a Trojan attack is any backdoors that might be left behind even after you remove the infection. Granted....i'm PARANOID about internet security. (but i'm studying computer security for certification purposes so sue me. [:D] )

My GFU no longer laughs at me about such things with her Mac 'holier than thou' tude after she told me she was starting to get pop up ads for porn sites. Installed a Mac AV on her machine and lo......Trojan. Brave new world out there! Noone is immune (and never was in truth)

[Tomokatu]

"With your taste in music, you might as well listen to a guy who's standing on a street corner screaming while banging two trash cans together."

-Girlfriend on Industrial music.

 
She's right. Music should move your blood and bring you to the point of tears. Industrial won't do that. Try this instead.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7-8fDKxxkk

[Mac67]

Got hit by the System Tools virus today... [:@]

Nasty peice of malware that pretty much stopped all the programs on my pc working and even changed my desktop wallpaper to its own one. Got rid of it by restarting in safe mode and doing a system restore going back a few days.

Agree that the people behind stuff like this should die in a fire.

[junk2drive]

Mac what anti virus and firewall do you use?

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

Mac what anti virus and firewall do you use?

Kasperski

[Mac67]

ORIGINAL: junk2drive

Mac what anti virus and firewall do you use?

Mcafee.