PLEASE READ AND PASS IT ON

[mszee]

Please note, this is not one of those chain mails where you're warned of something that is bogus.

This really happened to my friends and family and at this time I feel that I need to post this for everybody.

This is a scam software that is called Windows Antivirus 2009. This software creates pop ups on your computer claiming that your hard drive is infested with viruses and you need to download this software immediately to clean up your computer or else. One installed it starts displaying fake messages that your computer is so infected that the only way to get rid of your viruses is to purchase this software. It gets to the point that you virtually can't connect to the Internet until you buy the software.

In any event...please do NOT download this software. This is NOT MS software although it is made to look like one. But this software becomes sort of the virus itself and sooner or later you won't be able to connect to the internet at all until you're forced to buy things you don't need.

I am not entirely clear what this software does but one thing is clear - you do not have viruses this software claims you have and sooner or later you might lose all connectivity to the internet and waste money to boot.

Below are the links to read more about this and a suggestion how to uninstall this once installed. But the warning is...once installed...there is no uninstall and it's a great big deal of pain to uninstall this.

http://www.xp-vista.com/spyware-remo...l-instructions

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/malw...antivirus-2009

[meatloaf-unofficial]

I got something like this on my old PC - we're talking a good couple of years back and its totally true what your saying!

It gets to the stage when you cannot connect to the net at all and you get millions of pop-ups that are a really pain in the ass......

The only way I found to get rid of it, without falling for this "buy the software now and be virus free", when I already have Norton, is to restore my pc, meaning I lost all my files, it wouldn't allow me to back them up, and to restore it back to its factory setings!!

Something I don't wanna have to do AGAIN!!!!



So in relation to this, thanks mszee for pointing it out... I'll keep a clear eye on it!

[meatloaf-unofficial]

Whilst, we're talking about virus'; I got this email from a friend who works for the council and it was passed onto them by Microsoft and Norton!

Please
Be Extremely Careful
especially if using internet mail such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and so on.

This information arrived this morning direct from both Microsoft and Norton.

Please send it to everybody you know who has access to the Internet.

You may receive an apparently harmless email with a Power Point presentation
'Life is beautiful.'

If you receive it DO NOT OPEN THE FILE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES , and delete it immediately .

If you open this file, a message will appear on your screen saying: 'It is too late now, your life is no longer beautiful.'

Subsequently you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC and the person who sent it to you will gain access to your name, e-mail and password.

This is a new virus which started to circulate on Saturday afternoon.

AOL has already confirmed the severity, and the antivirus software's are not capable of destroying it.

The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself 'life owner.'


PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THIS EMAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS and ask them to PASS IT ON IMMEDIATELY


I thought it would be a good idea to pass onto you people.... so LOOK OUT!!!

[Monstro]

I wonder how many of these warnings are just spamming emails?

[mszee]

Originally Posted by Monstro

I wonder how many of these warnings are just spamming emails?

I don't know about e-mails but the warning that I've posted here is real....trust me on this - I've already seen 2 computers infected by what I've described before. It is not a virus as such but at the end of the day it works WORSE than a virus...

[Pudding]

Sounds a bit like the Winfixer bullshit that I had issues with a while back. I'd love to find these f*ckers who write these shitty virus programs and beat the ever loving shit out of them.

Pud

[AndyK]

Originally Posted by Monstro

I wonder how many of these warnings are just spamming emails?

The vast majority of them!

[carole]

Thanks for the warnings guys, I'l be careful in future and keep an eye out.

Carole