The sinister character who is behind the "Security Tool" scam that was unleashed on unsuspecting PC users this morning, should be investigated by the FBI, apprehended and charged, and punished to the full extent of the law.
For good reason!
The culprit behind the malicious intruder - that infects a laptop until its owner pays a ransom - amounts to "extortion" (plain and simple) and cries out for swift and severe action by Law Enforcement to deter such heinous illegal conduct in the future.
This morning, when I logged on to my laptop, a dialogue box popped up on the screen and began to visually scan the files on my computer.
However, I immediately became suspicious, because I did not install any anti-virus software by the name of "Security Tool".
Sure enough, a few minutes later - after the alleged scan was complete - Security Tool issued an alert that my computer files were infected with a "malicious worm" capable of comprimising my computer and causing serious damage to the hard drive.
At this juncture, a dialogue box recommended that the suspicious file(s) be deleted, so my PC would no longer be at risk.
However, when I clicked on the "remove" button, I was transported to a web site - where unknown parties (owners of the unmarked site?) - made a demand for the sum of $79.00 to eradicate the nasty intruder.
When I recognized the scam for what it was - and proceeded to browse back to the Tattler web site to continue with the publishing of a post - I suddenly faced a half-a-dozen or so stumbling blocks for the next three hours!
For example, large dialogue boxes - warning about a computer risk - continued to fill up the screen - and in the process - prevented me from continuing with my work.
Then, when I attempted to scan the computer with my own anti-virus software, the intruder at the controls of the hateful hi-jacking software - shut the Microsoft program down.
A dialogue box popped up in the middle of the screen to inform me that the action was "blocked".
Was the culprit behind the illegal intrusion literally teasing me from beyond?
Re-booting didn't help matters much!
Every time I inputted my personal code, and windows proceeded to fire up on the screen, the annoying dialogue boxes persisted with messages about the "infected files" - and ad nauseam - summarily made demands that I purchase an anti-virus program for the sum of $79.00 to eradicate the problem.
If that isn't extortion, what is?
Just before one of the myriad intrusions, Windows managed to pop off a message to me (before the program was snuffed out by "Security Tool"), that the following file - if found in computer files - should be deleted:
SPCMDCOM.sys PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
Windows noted that the following file was infected, too:
flashutil10k_ActiveX.exe
At this point, I shut down the laptop, and headed over to the library.
Uh-huh!
Until the issue is resolved, the least I can do is forewarn other laptop users about the malicious worm infecting computers on the Internet under the misleading guise of being a "Security Tool".
Watch your back, eh?
No comments:
Post a Comment