Thousands falling for Microsoft tech support scam; Caller offers to remove virus by remote access

 

 

Computer security firms are warning about a Microsoft tech support scam that now appears to be exploding nationwide.

This cold-calling scam first surfaced a couple of years ago. But Microsoft says people are now falling victim to it every day, as it can be very convincing.

How The Scam Works

Jim Eyster has had a lot of problems with his laptop, including lockups and blue screens.

So he was relieved when the phone rang and the caller said he was with Microsoft Tech Support.

“He said ‘I’m from Microsoft and we have noticed that you have had a lot of viruses,'” Eyster said.

The caller explained that Microsoft, during a routine scan of his system, found problems that were slowing it down.

“I was gullible,” Eyster said. “He said he could show me where the viruses were and so I let him take control of the mouse.”

Eyster said the man directed him to a webpage that, once he logged on, allowed the caller to take control of his computer.

The man then called up an internal page on the laptop that appeared to show it overrun with viruses. It showed hundreds of “errors” and “critical alerts.” Eyster was alarmed.

“He said he could remove the viruses for a hundred dollars, on a credit card,” Eyster said.

But something about it made Eyster suspicious at that point and good thing: It was all a scam.

So What’s In Your Computer?

The errors they show you are not viruses at all.

“They are calling about Windows errors,” Tina Wolff said. “But everybody has Windows errors. So immediately you are listening.”

Wolff, a computer technician, runs a repair shop and has seen many people fall for the ruse. She said one of her customers paid hundreds of dollars to remove the nonexistent viruses.

“He spent an hour on the phone and at the end of the hour they told him they were going to charge him $300,” Wolff said. Then she had to remove the “malware” that the caller installed.

It’s Not Microsoft

Remember: Microsoft will never call you unsolicited.

The company says this is a foreign scam to collect credit card numbers and install malware.

But if you have PC problems, like Eyster did, it’s so convincing.

I believed it, and I bit like a fish,” he said.

Bottom line: If Microsoft calls you, hang up. That way, you don’t waste your money.
 

Source from: (http://www.newsnet5.com)

 

 

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Cyber scams rife at social networks: Microsoft

Social networks are “lucrative hot beds” for cyber scams as crooks endeavor to dupe members of online communities, according to a Microsoft security report released on Thursday.

“Phishing” attacks that use seemingly legitimate messages to trick people into clicking on booby-trapped links, buying bogus software, or revealing information rocketed 1,200 percent at social networks last year, it said.

“We continue to see cyber criminals evolve attack methods such as a significant rise in social network phishing,” Microsoft malware protection center manager Vinny Gullotto said in the Security Intelligence Report.

Phishing using social networking as a “lure” represented 84.5 percent of all such trickery in December as compared with 8.3 percent at the start of 2010, according to the report.

Microsoft analyzed data gathered from more than 600 million computer systems worldwide from July through December of last year for the semi-annual study.

“The popularity of social networking sites has created new opportunities for cyber criminals to not only directly impact users, but also friends, colleagues and family through impersonation,” the report said.

“These techniques add to an existing list of social engineering techniques, such as financial and product promotions, to extort money or trick users into downloading malicious content.”

Social engineering is a reference to fooling people to access machines or data instead of trying to hack into networks using software skills.

Microsoft noticed a “polarization” of cyber criminal behavior and a surge in the use of “marketing-like” deception tactics to steal money from people.

“On one side, highly sophisticated criminals skilled at creating exploits and informed with intelligence about a target’s environment pursue high-value targets with large payoffs,” the report said.

“On the other side, there are cyber criminals using more accessible attack methods, including social engineering tactics and leveraging exploits created by the more skilled criminals, to take a small amount of money from a large number of people.”

Criminals used malicious software to trick people with false advertisements, fake security software, and pay-per-click schemes that generate cash when Internet links are activated, according to Microsoft.

Detections of software crafted to infect machines with pop-up advertisements meanwhile rose 70 percent from the middle of last year to the end of December, the report indicated.

Rogue security software, referred to as “scareware,” was one of the most common ways for cyber criminals worldwide to bilk people out of money and steal information from computers.

The ploy seeks to dupe Internet users by pretending to find viruses and other problems on computers and then offering to sell a program to fix the situation. The software being hawked is a virus.

Computer users were advised to guard against threats by keeping programs updated, using reputable security software, and not clicking links or opening files without making certain they are safe.

 

Source from : (http://www.independent.co.uk)

 

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Google finally takes out the trash, cracks down on dodgy apps

 

Google hopes an updated Google Play Developer Program Policy will help cut down on deceptive advertising in mobile applications.

The new approach imposes on developers more specific rules regarding what content Android apps can display, and makes developers responsible for ensuring their partner affiliates are not employing shady practices.

That includes tricking users into downloading apps via pop-up ads that simulate official Android OS notifications.

“Ads must not simulate or impersonate the user interface of any app, or notification and warning elements of an operating system,” the new policy said, adding that advertisements must be clearly marked.

Similar schemes have run amok for years, TechCrunch pointed out; most notable are the Web-based pop-ups reminiscent of Windows system error or malware infection warnings.

“It is your [developers’] responsibility to ensure that no ad network or affiliate uses such methods to direct users to pages that make your app available for download,” Google’s new policy said.

Google Play team member Anthony Farrior announced the update Friday via an email to developers. All new apps or app updates published will be subject to the latest version of the Program Policy, he said, adding that those in violation may be subject to warning or removal from the mobile store.

Meanwhile, TechCrunch noted a number of other changes to the policy, including clarification about sexually explicit material, as well as the banning of apps that not only contain malware, but also link to viruses, and modifications to browser settings that prohibit the automatic modification or addition of settings or bookmarks.

Earlier this month, Google rolled out a store update that attempts to make it harder for kids to rack up hundreds of dollars worth of micro-transaction purchases within apps like Candy Crush Saga. Now, users can choose from several options for how to make in-app purchases on Android devices, including the option to require a password for every purchase made.

 

Source From: ( http://www.itproportal.com )

 

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Don’t Fall for Mac Tech Support Scams

 

A security researcher from anti-malware firm Malwarebytes recently busted Speak Support, an online tech support company, for using shady sales practices to dupe Mac users into paying for tech support services they don’t need.

While most computer tech support scams start off with a random cold-call from the scammer, this one started with a click from a paid search ad on Bing:

 

Upon calling & telling the Speak Support technician that his Mac was running slow, the security researcher handed over the reins by granting remote control of the computer in question.

That’s when things got a little interesting.

Starting off, the Speak Support technician wanted to check whether or not antivirus software was installed on the Mac. So, the “technician” opened a terminal and typed a ping command to protection.com. This seems like a rather odd thing to do, unless you understand the method behind the madness.

Since the server admins for protection.com appeared to have disallowed ping requests, the following messages are generated within the terminal:

Request timeout for icmp_seq 0
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1
Request timeout for icmp_seq 2
Request timeout for icmp_seq 3…

That’s apparently all the scammer needs in order to convince the end-user that the Mac is unprotected and that is the reason why it is running slow.

The Speak Support technician offered the Malwarebytes researcher two different support packages: one for $99 that included the antivirus software, computer optimizations & “registry alignment” and the second for $200 that added operating system and software coverage to the mix.

You can witness the scam in all its glory in the YouTube video below:

Don’t forget to check out Malwarebyte’s Tech Support Scam Resources page for helpful tips on how to spot these types of scams, what to do when you’ve fallen for one, and how to report them.

 

Source From: (http://www.thechipmerchant.com)

 

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Google Chromecast (UK edition) review

 

 

When Google first announced the Chromecast — its answer to Apple TV — last July, the internet went wild for it. It was cheap, compatible with iOS and Android, and offered really cool mirroring capabilities. Eight months later, the Chromecast is finally on sale in the UK, but a lot has happened in the world of TV accessories in that time.

At £30 it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than Apple’s little black puck and the top-of-the-range Roku boxes, but when it comes to other products within its price band, it has a fight on its hands to prove its relevance.

Features

Chromecast at the moment is caught between a rock and a hard place — the rock being Sky’s NOW TV box, priced at £10; the hard place being Roku’s Streaming Stick, which costs £50.

To put it crudely, content is king here and at the moment Chromecast in the UK doesn’t offer the goodies to make it the must-have budget device to transform your normal telly from dumb to smart. We won’t list the extensive range of services compatible with the Chromecast in the US, but needless to say it provides a comprehensive and well-rounded collection of options for viewers over the pond.

In the UK, there are currently only three apps that the majority of viewers will have any interest in using — Netflix, BBC iPlayer and YouTube. The latter two are also available through Sky’s NOW TV box, which provides access to Sky’s pay-as-go movies, sports and entertainment services as well. Drawing a line in between the two at the moment is a simple matter of Netflix versus Sky. If you want both, your best bet is the Roku stick, which boasts a relatively well-developed ecosystem that also gives you access to a whole library of compatible apps including 4oD and Demand 5.

All this may well change, and fast — Google has released an Android SDK for the Chromecast and for most companies it shouldn’t be too difficult to build Chromecast compatibility into their existing apps. Until it does though, we’re left cold by the Chromecast’s range of content.

We do like the option of being able to mirror your Chrome browser screen to your TV though. This obviously gives you access to browser-based content as well, even if it’s rather a clunky way of watching video on your TV.

Design and interface

The arrival of the Chromecast inevitably marks the beginning of a slow death for the set-top box. Its discreet dongle design clearly inspired Roku to rethink its approach, and no doubt other box makers will follow. The Chromecast looks a little like an oversized USB stick that plugs into one of your TV’s HDMI ports.

It needs a source of power to operate, and can be used with a power cable provided in the box, but we really appreciated the option to use the USB cable that allows you to power the dongle from the TV itself. If your TV does have a USB port, this is by far the neatest option. Look, ma — no pokey-outy wires!

Whereas the Roku stick comes with an RF remote, much like the Roku boxes, the Chromecast will only take instructions from your phone or tablet. Extra remotes are often seen as annoyance, and you’re less likely to let your phone or tablets slip into the folds of the sofa for an extended period of time, but there are some who will mourn the loss of the remote.

There is no interface to speak of with the Chromecast. All that’s required once your device is paired with Chromecast is to beam whatever you want to watch from your phone or tablet to your screen from within the relevant app.

Setup and performance

The Chromecast was a doddle to set up — much less fiddly than NOW TV or the Roku boxes. Plug in the dongle, download the app, follow the syncing instructions and you’re good to go.

In our tests, performance was hard to fault and using the system felt seamless — although to an extent this will rely on the strength of the Wi-Fi signal in your home. A little button within the relevant apps allow you to ping the content to your TV, and as long as the right HDMI source is selected it works automatically — it’s as simple as that. You can continue to use your phone or tablet as normal, too.

Unlike the NOW TV box, the Chromecast does support Full HD content (as does the Roku stick) and Google told us at the official UK launch that it is looking to incorporate 4K in the future. This is going to be increasingly important as 4K content becomes more prevalent and services like Netflix start to offer it as an option.

Conclusion

The Chromecast is a very promising device, but it doesn’t quite tick all our boxes at the moment. If all you need is a cheap way to watch Netflix on your TV, this is undoubtedly the device for you, but those who require anything more will likely be disappointed right now. If all you need is BBC iPlayer, plus the option of watching Sky occasionally, the NOW TV box is for you.

The Chromecast may have beat the Roku Stick to market by a whisker, but right now in the UK, the Roku Stick is well worth splashing out an extra £20 on. Depending on how aggressively Google pushes to make services Chromecast-compatible though, this could easily all change in the not-too-distant future. Watch this space.

 

Source From:( http://www.wired.co.uk)

 

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