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Virus Warning

Got a virus on my other computer today which says it is "Antivirus XP 2010" warning me that i have a virus and Trojans etc and to upgrade. Really convincing as it looks exactly like my antivirus software and it prompts you to Purchase and upgrade which set the alarm bells ringing.

Dont purchase anything as its a hoax as a quick google search will prove.
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Comments

  • I can't believe anyone is still caught out by these fake-antispyware scams. The best advice I can give anyone here is to download a copy of MalwareBytes and keep it on a USB stick. If you ever get any of that shite on your PC, run that and it'll kill most of it. You need to keep it up to date though - which can be a pain if you get rinsed and don't have access to another machine to run the updates.

    Every time you get a pop-up which isn't blocked by whatever pop-up blocker you're using, hit ctrl-alt-delete and kill the browser process (iexplore.exe, firefox.exe or whatever browser you're running). Do NOT click on the pop-up ANYWHERE (they're usually designed to look like Windows dialog boxes, but the little 'X' in the top right corner is just part of the pop-up, and clicking on it will just run the installer for whatever piece of crapware it's fetching from a moody server in the Ukraine somewhere.

    Finally, make sure you run WIndows Update regularly (automatic updates are best for most people). That will keep you patched against teh latest vulnerabilities. Also make sure that Flash, QUickTime etc are set to automatically search for and install updates as many bits of crudware are exploiting holes in third-party programs to infect you nowadays.
  • edited March 2010
    I dont know how i got it Leroy as Ive only looked on this site and a few other football ones in the last couple of weeks (for once Im being honest about my surfing history!!!)

    It's just appeared on my laptop and has taken over browser etc and i cant operate any programmes. Admittedly im as IT literate as ....someone who is not IT literate....but i didnt open any suspect files in emails etc or downloaded anything.

    It is pretty convincing if you dont know about IT so was just warning in case anyone did start handing over their credit card details.
  • [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]I can't believe anyone is still caught out by these fake-antispyware scams. The best advice I can give anyone here is to download a copy ofMalwareBytesand keep it on a USB stick.

    Or just buy a Mac and never have to worry about viruses
  • funny you say that. im watching my housemate try to get a virus off his mac right now. he's a proper fanboy as well. bloody hilarious
  • Is funny because i've just one too.

    Very annoying
  • Is there any free antimalware things?
  • I got exactly the same virus last night. Sorted it with the software Leroy mentioned above.
  • [cite]Posted By: JT[/cite]Is there any free antimalware things?
    Yes. MalwareBytes. Like I posted earlier in this thread. Sigh.
  • edited March 2010
    [cite]Posted By: PeakieRocket[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]I can't believe anyone is still caught out by these fake-antispyware scams. The best advice I can give anyone here is to download a copy ofMalwareBytesand keep it on a USB stick.

    Or just buy a Mac and never have to worry about viruses
    Or learn what you're doing. Never had a virus in fifteen years of using a PC. Had dozens of attempted drive-by downloads but having to put up with closing my browser down to prevent them is a minor irritation compared with the horrible feeling of being a smug, square-glasses wearing, scooter-riding, baggy-jeaned cu*t of a Mac owner.
  • JTJT
    edited March 2010
    [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: JT[/cite]Is there any free antimalware things?
    Yes. MalwareBytes. Like I posted earlier in this thread. Sigh.



    Easy tiger.

    That link scans, tells me it's fucked, then asks me to purchase to get rid ?
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  • [cite]Posted By: JT[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: JT[/cite]Is there any free antimalware things?
    Yes. MalwareBytes. Like I posted earlier in this thread. Sigh.



    Easy tiger.

    That link scans, tells me it's fucked, then asks me to purchase to get rid ?
    LOL - wasn't taking the piss. Just had a f***er of a day with French tossers in our Paris office driving me nuts. Check out this link for it: Direct download from safe site - not sure why the original link looks moody.
  • Had exactly the same virus myself last night, as mentioned it does look very real, even done a virus scan and nothing shows up as it can somehow override the software to show no problems, got rid eventually but a real pain.
  • edited March 2010
    [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: PeakieRocket[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]I can't believe anyone is still caught out by these fake-antispyware scams. The best advice I can give anyone here is to download a copy ofMalwareBytesand keep it on a USB stick.

    Or just buy a Mac and never have to worry about viruses
    Or learn what you're doing. Never had a virus in fifteen years of using a PC. Had dozens of attempted drive-by downloads but having to put up with closing my browser down to prevent them is a minor irritation compared with the horrible feeling of being a smug, square-glasses wearing, scooter-riding, baggy-jeaned cu*t of a Mac owner.

    LOL. Spot on, never met a bunch of people who have bought into an advertising myth as much as Mac users. They are the Abercrombie & Fitch of the computer world.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/feb/05/comment.media
  • [cite]Posted By: (1984)[/cite]LOL. Spot on, never met a bunch of people who have bought into an advertising myth as much as Mac users. They are the Abercrombie & Fitch of the computer world.

    to be fair I thought that, and then got given a mac, and they are so much more user friendly, I couldn't go back to a PC. Thinks like just plugging in printers and not having to worry about drivers and the like really make a difference if you're using a laptop like I do. It's annoying that there are certain programs that aren't mac compatible however for everyday use, I couldn't live with Windows again.
  • [cite]Posted By: allez les addicks[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: (1984)[/cite]LOL. Spot on, never met a bunch of people who have bought into an advertising myth as much as Mac users. They are the Abercrombie & Fitch of the computer world.

    to be fair I thought that, and then got given a mac, and they are so much more user friendly, I couldn't go back to a PC. Thinks like just plugging in printers and not having to worry about drivers and the like really make a difference if you're using a laptop like I do. It's annoying that there are certain programs that aren't mac compatible however for everyday use, I couldn't live with Windows again.

    In fairness I sort of agree, they do make decent kit (although massivly overpriced) but I find their advertising so mind blowingly irratating that I refuse to go anywhere near anything Apple. The other thing that does my head in is the way Mac users seem to get so tribal about them, it's just a different type of computer ffs not a lifestyle!
  • [cite]Posted By: JT[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: JT[/cite]Is there any free antimalware things?
    Yes. MalwareBytes. Like I posted earlier in this thread. Sigh.



    Easy tiger.

    That link scans, tells me it's fucked, then asks me to purchase to get rid ?



    JT you wont be able to access Leroy's link from your infected PC. You need to download it on another pc and save it to USB stick and then plug that into your sick one (I imagine...as thats what im waiting to do when i eventually find the fricking stick!)
  • What advertising isn'y irritating though? I'd say the whole "Windows 7 was my idea" is an infinitely worse campaign. Although for Apple to advertise based on the fact that Macs don't get viruses is false. They still exist, it's just they are not prevalent.

    End of the day, even if you have a mac, realistically you still need to have access to Windows for the odd program that don't work on it, so I agree that the whole tribal thing is stupid.
  • Know a bit about pcs but not much.Had this virus the other week also and I can see how it would catch people out. I know people moan about Norton but it sorts all the crap out that gets onto my pc. It doesnt sort the problem out straight away as it quarantines the virus for a few days and then it's gone! - pc now back to normal and no ones emptied my bank account! PC world doing Norton for £28.00 although I did see it somewhere for £10 misco or ebuyer I think.
  • [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[ but having to put up with closing my browser down to prevent them is a minor irritation compared with the horrible feeling of being a smug, square-glasses wearing, scooter-riding, baggy-jeaned cu*t of a Mac owner.

    Now that did make me laugh.....
  • MACS didnt have virus probs for years cos there wasnt enough of them to make it worth it...beware you are not immune now!
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  • [cite]Posted By: Chunes[/cite]funny you say that. im watching my housemate try to get a virus off his mac right now. he's a proper fanboy as well. bloody hilarious

    Funnier if it was your mac :)
  • I had something like this last week but not sure it was the same but it took over my browser and I couldn't close the damn thing down. I should have CTR ALT Deleted from Task Manager but panicked and switched the lap top off instead. I can't believe it hijacked my browser when I have Anti virus / spyware / registry monitor / registry mechanic and privacy guardian all with PC Tools which is one of America's leading anti virus providers.
  • I use Avast Home edition (free, and excellent), Windows firewall, Spybot search and destroy periodically, and never turn the windows updates on.

    Never had any problems.
  • Can concur Avast is superb...or at least appears to be...and it's free too!
  • I've been using Microsoft Security Essentials, it's free and seems fine. Did have AVG (the free edition) before that, but this was meant to be better. It did find a couple of dodgy files AVG didn't, though I don't think they were anything serious.
  • Avast is the best free, seems to stop all the trojans and fake alerts without having to use malwarebytes

    Can you stop the announcement that tells you 'the virus database has been updated' though? Can be a bit annoying when you dont expect it
  • Rodders's missus is away for a day and his laptop gets bad aids. Wonder what happened.
  • Have you got a light mac......No I've got a dark brown overcoat......RIP Viv Stanshall
  • Trojan nuke my work computer today, pretty sure it came from this site
  • [quote][cite]Posted By: harveys gardener[/cite]Trojan nuke my work computer today, pretty sure it came from this site[/quote]

    Either Dailly or Francis to blame for this one I think.
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