Thread: WARNING, WARNING, DANGER WILL ROBINSON!

I'll start my story with the ending. There is no such thing as Vista Total Security so don't fall for it. I unfortunately did and it's looking like it may be pretty painful. Saturday afternoon, I'm surfin the net having a grand old time when suddenly I get all kind of security related pop ups. I bring up windows security only to find out that my firewall is disabled and my entire system is wide open for all comers. When I attempt to adjust the firewall settings and get my security back up, a window comes up for this Vista Total Security (complete with MS Windows security logo) telling me I need to purchase the one year subscription for $59.95. OK cool, I put in a debit card number and stuff and hit submit. Long story short, I never get email confirmation, registration numbers to open up the program or anything and this Vista Total Security (an elaborate malware/fishing program) has my system locked up. I mean I can't even bring up SRP without a "security lock". I get home from work this afternoon and still no registration number so I decide its time for a call to Microsoft. The Indian gentleman was then good enough to break the news to me that Vista Total Security not only is NOT a Microsoft product but is in fact malware. He then proceeds to assist me better than any tech support guy ever and helps me get my puter off its arse. Then I've got to call the bank up and do damage control. Be advised. Don't fall for this crap. I guess my Dad was right, the world is indeed a rotten place full of terrible people. I hope those low life pieces of excrement are afflicted with leprosy and the first bit to fall off is the wedding tackle. Anyway, don't let this be you.

I'm sorry for your trouble. I hope you get it all sorted out.
The lesson here is that you should never pay or provide any personal information to an unsolicited solicitation.

Aye, malwarebytes anti malware us handy. As is lavasoft adaware.
What you got was IE Defender. Best course of action is to back up important files and reinstall unless you're sure the malware has been removed. Next step is to stop using IE. Use FireFox or Chrome or Opera. At one of this years hacking symposiums IE was hacked in minutes. Took a long time with the others. I don't think they got through Chrome or Opera but I don't remember the exact details.

I use Firefox and this malware will get through it. In fact I had it pop up in April. You can add noscript which would block it but then many sites stop working correctly and I never could get all my regulars to work well so I stopped using it.

Thanks for the warning it is always good to get the word out. This is a successful ruse which is why it keeps coming back. I recently heard a DJ on the radio discuss an email that was so convincing of a friend needing money that she nearly sent money. Last moment she sent a reply saying call me and we will take care of it. Put an end to it immediately.

Yeah, the Microsoft dude hooked me up with malwarebytes and my system is clean as a whistle now. This was a choice piece of hacking. Not only did it totally look like an official MS product and it came up when I was attempting to use Windows Security but even with the Microsoft guy's help it took us a while to remove the offending file. Malwarebytes found 250 infected files. Fortunately they're gone now.

I own a small computer store here in my little town. If it is any consolation I get about 10 or systems a week brought in with this or similar variations. It also seems to go in waves. So 5-10 systems a week for a few weeks then next week 15-20 systems for a couple of weeks.

Sorry to hear about the hack. Running linux avoids a lot of this stuff. I browse on mozzila firefox with no script running. Most of these phising schemes, trojans, viruses are written for microsoft OS. I got burned by one using XP. Wiped the drive and went to linux about 5 or 6 years ago. I've got a new laptop coming in the next few weeks with windows 7 installed and I will give it a try but on my home PCs where I do banking and such it is strictly linux.

It's true there's no vista total security, but I've got a bridge in brooklyn, killer deal!!!

OK, sorry for your misfortune, I couldn't resist. Hopefully you won't be out too much money.

I don't think that the world is full of rotten people... the internet just makes their rotteness more accessable.

Sorry to hear of your woes.

Naw...the world is really full of rotten people....the good ones just manage to come here fore sanctuary. Come to the light children ! This site is clean !