freak'n virus.... FBI hostage....

[MAN OF BLUES]

anymore, when you pay big buck$ to protect a comuter for virus', you'd expect the software to detect/isolate/and destroy a virus that has been around for over a year...
My software "Total Defence suite cost big bucks, and i have been using CA software for years.... no pleased right now, typing from one of 2 laptops.... awaiting a scan to complete after 3.5 hours.....

it's called the FBI Virus, holds ya captive, locks down the machine, and can be very painful to remove....

here's the blog, and what to do....
I suggest going right to Method 3...

it's only my opinion, seeing as it gets you on the system clean first shot...supposedly... I'll let ya know in another hour, when my Total Defense software finishes it's scan, sitting for the last 1.5 hours @ 96%....

dammit.
 

for anyone wanting the cure:

http://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-fbi-alert-moneypak-virus/

[VirginiaJim]

I've spent a weekend 'cleaning' a pc...  Run Symantec and Malwarebytes.

[wally_games]

I had this one awhile back. It was a b---h to remove, but ended up getting it handled. Try the program at tweaking.com, in conjunction with Malwarebytes.

[rush2112]

Figures...

I have had virus problems with every paid-for anti-virus program I've ever had in the past. It wasn't until I started using avast! (free addition) that I haven't had a single problem in the last 4 years. Hope I just didn't jinx myself! 

I keep Malwarebytes updated and running in the background too.

[George R. Young]

Another vote for avast. I tried antivir but it took about 100 MB more memory to run and it was always nagging me to upgrade to the pay version.

So far avast is free and does the job.

[wahrsuul]

I gave up using AV software for just that reason.  I keep a resonbly new image of my system just in case, but for the most part, it's Malwarebytes and Spybot.  And Linux on my server.

[Conrad]

I've dealt with this virus twice in the past but not on any machines that I use. One was on a PC at work and one on a friend's PC. The friend called me in a panic and said that the FBI was after him for looking at child porn online. He swore to me that he's never looked at any such thing and that the FBI wanted him to pay $300 to 'unlock' his PC. I asked him if he thought that the FBI would hijack his PC for $300 or kick in his door and arrest him for looking at child porn? He thought about it for a moment and said, 'it's a virus right?". Right.

Anyway, I had helped my friend set-up his PC when he first got it and I had him create two user accounts at the time, one a password protected admin account and the other a limited use account for day to day use (same thing for the PC at work except that I did all the set-up and removal of the virus). With the limited use account locked down by the virus the admin account had to be used to remove the virus. My friend was using Norton for antivirus and the PC at work was using McAfee. Norton and McAfee were removed and Micro$oft Security Essentials installed. Security Essentials removed the virus no problem. I also ran Malwarebytes to double check but it didn't find anything.   

[Outback_Jon]

I've dealt with this virus twice in the past but not on any machines that I use. One was on a PC at work and one on a friend's PC. The friend called me in a panic and said that the FBI was after him for looking at child porn online. He swore to me that he's never looked at any such thing and that the FBI wanted him to pay $300 to 'unlock' his PC. I asked him if he thought that the FBI would hijack his PC for $300 or kick in his door and arrest him for looking at child porn? He thought about it for a moment and said, 'it's a virus right?". Right.

It's even more panic inducing when the PC/laptop has a webcam.  It activates it and shows the user a live video stream of themselves at the computer.   

[MrPepsi]

With Malware this strong, I almost always format and start fresh.

[MAN OF BLUES]

It's even more panic inducing when the PC/laptop has a webcam.  It activates it and shows the user a live video stream of themselves at the computer.   

HEHEHEHYeah
that kinda freaked me out also, we have a logitech cam on our monitor to skype with the grand kids, but is is ALWAYS off... when that popped up on screen I said.....wtf?

I got it all done about 9 last night, coulda had it done in about 20 minutes had I not wasted hours trying to run a scan while in "Safe mode" ... Malwarebytes and the other program Hitman pro worked as they should, I had to download everything on a laptop, and make a stick to run them all.
Hitman also has a utility called Kickstart, which prettymuch "kickstarts the machine" safely when it has been locked down.
Scathing letter got sent to CA/ Total Defense about this situation....it should have been cought.
I have had other instances where it found and quarentined newer virus'.\

This same virus hit my work computer when I was trying to download a song..... It got everyone in a ruckus, and I got my azz handed to me because of it.... but it was a computer that was handed over to me a week before, and I know it was resident prior....

Wondering if it came from Momma's doings online with Akron-Canton airport.. she booked a flight, and was online with them frequently recently, about a week or so ago their mainframe got hacked, and released personal info on about 20,000 folks.... maybe someone dropped a Trojen in there at the same time...

[Conrad]

In my friend's case, the virus did come from him looking at porn online. At least it was the adult kind...

[Awaz]

Figures...

I have had virus problems with every paid-for anti-virus program I've ever had in the past. It wasn't until I started using avast! (free addition) that I haven't had a single problem in the last 4 years. Hope I just didn't jinx myself! 

I keep Malwarebytes updated and running in the background too.

Do not quote me on this (not a security guy), but reason anti-virus programs end up not detecting some of these malware is because of the nature of their signature. If I remember correctly, these are sort of 'fake' viruses, where the signatures do not quite match what the anti-virus might have. 99% of the time, you actually click a link and allow the program to enter. So best advice - stay out of naughty sites

[dvitous]

I got a freak-out call from my father-in-law last December with this same virus.  And I told him the same thing... do ya think they wouldn't come knockin on your door?


Of course imploring the whole time about how he ain't done nothin bad!  And should he just pay it?


I did some research for him - with the bad news on how hard, if not sometimes impossible to clean, and it was way over his head.  I guess is son that lives local to him, "knew a guy..." - and eventually all fixed.


I got a similar call from the bro-in-law... a tech guy, no less... when he caught a virus.  When I Google-searche it, the first hit was a forum post that said:  "Ha, ha... you were surfing porn and got caught!"   

[VirginiaJim]

I think he should make the check out to you and you 'pay' the FBI.

[Mettler1]

  I have had problems with every anti-virus I ever paid for. Finally went with Windows Defender and have been clean for 4 yrs. It kind of surprises me as I'm not the worlds worst pervert but I'm working on it!!

[Rick Hall]

Surf those Ducati lust websites, who knows what'll happen. Stick to this site, virus free.

Rick

[Rhino]

Kaspersky for me. Norton and McAfee both ARE viruses. Enterprise version of McAfee seems ok on my company laptop but when I had it on my personal desktop it would pop up a stinking window every minute asking if I wanted to upgrade. I finally upgraded to make it stop then it started to pop up a window every minute to ask if I wanted to renew even though I had a year to go on my license.

[Conrad]

Kaspersky for me. Norton and McAfee both ARE viruses. Enterprise version of McAfee seems ok on my company laptop but when I had it on my personal desktop it would pop up a stinking window every minute asking if I wanted to upgrade. I finally upgraded to make it stop then it started to pop up a window every minute to ask if I wanted to renew even though I had a year to go on my license.

My employer has a site license for the Enterprise version of McAfee. Not only does it not do it's job but it's a HUGE resource hog. One of the most common programs in use at work is a statistical package called SPSS. With McAfee running the program can take up to 10 mins to open on a slow PC. On the same PC with Security Essentials installed the program opens in seconds. 

[Rhino]

Well ok then, it's official, McAfee bites!

[MAN OF BLUES]

I got a similar call from the bro-in-law... a tech guy, no less... when he caught a virus.  When I Google-searche it, the first hit was a forum post that said:  "Ha, ha... you were surfing porn and got caught!"   

I have to laugh at that one for sure, but both my work machine and my home machine got hit when either attempting to download music, or a simple form....