WARNING - Possible mass scamming attempt

[kreativebargains]

Just came across a story that quotes the National Crime Agency as saying that a mass spamming event may be taking place aimed primarily at small businesses. The attachment if opened will lock your computer with a demand of 2 Bitcoins (£536) for the decryption key.

Full story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...me-Agency.html

While I am sure most of you would not fall for this type of scam it might be prudent to be extra vigilant while this threat is there.

[crafters_corner]

Thanks for the heads up, Kreative.

Last year, I had my computer locked - didn't open any links, it was for apparently visiting porn sites. Would like to declare my innocence on all charges

There was a demand for quite a sum to be paid to the scammers for them to unlock my computer.
I had to take it to the repair shop to be un-locked. The owner had had several that day and told me that even if I had paid the amount required, my computer would still have remained locked.

Be warned.

Thanks again, Kreative.

[kreativebargains]

Even if the worse happens NEVER pay them. For a start you would probably not get the code to unlock your machine. Apart from that if they never made anything there would be no point in them doing it and finally it should only cost about £30 to get it unlocked anyway.

[crafters_corner]

Have just remembered, it was a message across the whole of the screen, supposedly from the police.

I think we get older and wiser the more years we have our computers, but I do think I might have fallen for that one in my early days on-line.

[madelaine]

This would seem to be a good time to remind people to back up their data - especially cherished photographs.

[HerMajesty]

My SIL, a computer guru by profession, had to spend days with one of these hijack viruses last week. It infected the original computer, with something like a 30000 encryption, complete with the ransom request of 300 USD. It had infected a couple days of backups, and was unfixable. Luckily they had backups from earlier that worked, so only lost a couple days of work. This is a company that does computer programming, so they are no dummies at repairs. If you get a link you aren't sure of , or didn't request, don't open it.