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Malware Threatens to Sue BitTorrent Downloaders

#1

Hylian

Hylian

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/04/ransomware/






A new malware scam is trying to dupe BitTorrent users into coughing up serious cash for illegally downloading copyrighted material.
The code displays a box with the message “Warning! Piracy detected!” and opens a web page purportedly run by a Swiss company “committed to promoting the cultural and economic benefits of copyright.”
The fake company, the ICCP Foundation, also claims to be backed by the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and others. “It appears to scan the user’s hard drive for .torrent files and displays these as ’evidence’ of an earlier infringement,” wrote TorrentFreak, which first disclosed the malware.


Victims are are warned of possible imprisonment and fines, and given the option of “settling” the “case” for a one-time payment of $400, by credit card.
The scam seems intended to capitalize on the recent news that an independent filmmakers association is targeting thousands of BitTorrent users in federal lawsuits, with the aim of reaching quick settlements.




Security researcher Dancho Danchev quipped Monday that the scam “is perhaps the first recorded case of cybercriminals ignoring the basics of micropayments, and emphasizing on profit margins by attempting to extort the amount of $400.”
He thinks those behind the latest malware are associated with the Koobface worm and a money-mule recruitment campaign.

As F-Secure Labs advises: “Refuse to pay money to these clowns!”
Click to expand...


#2

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

You mean that was fake?


#3

Shakey

Shakey

Good lord. I wonder how long it will be before I get a "We paid them, but the message keeps popping up!"


#4

PatrThom

PatrThom

On a related note, I recently got an email purporting to be from the Nigerian government's department of scam resolution offering to pay me some money from the 'fund to compensate scam victims'...if I would just be nice enough to give them my banking details, of course. That's balls.

--Patrick


#5



Chazwozel

I swear these scammers are utter geniuses. Scumbags, but damn.... They take that old phrase "If I had a nickel for..." and apply it to reality.


#6



Matt²

so.. if you work professionally for a repair shop and one of these comes in.. officer.. am I obligated to call the police?


#7



LordRavage

I am outraged! And I want my 400 bucks back!

(Now i must send money to my Nigerian friends. That should cover the 400 $ loss.) :D


#8

Calleja

Calleja

Oh man, 400 dollars!? Shit, that's a bold scam. I bet they'd be much more successful in getting people to pay if it was 20 bucks or something... it's like a scam directed just at stupid, rich people instead of just stupid people.


#9

bhamv3

bhamv3

20 dollars wouldn't trick people into thinking this is serious stuff though. By making the amount higher, they might have a better chance of scaring people into paying.


#10

Shegokigo

Shegokigo

*flips through her hundred dollar bills*

It's going swimmingly, let me tell ya.


#11



Violent Drunk Ray Romano

bhamv3 said:
20 dollars wouldn't trick people into thinking this is serious stuff though. By making the amount higher, they might have a better chance of scaring people into paying.
Click to expand...
Well the people that fall for scams like this the hardest are old people that are new to the internet. Thing is, they probably don't download p2p shit at all. Your biggest torrent group is going to be the age 11-30 group. Some 11-17 year olds might fall for this, but they don't have the money to do it. The target group I guess would be 20 year olds?


#12

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Violent Drunk Ray Romano;370122][QUOTE=bhamv3 said:
20 dollars wouldn't trick people into thinking this is serious stuff though. By making the amount higher, they might have a better chance of scaring people into paying.
Click to expand...
Well the people that fall for scams like this the hardest are old people that are new to the internet. Thing is, they probably don't download p2p shit at all. Your biggest torrent group is going to be the age 11-30 group. Some 11-17 year olds might fall for this, but they don't have the money to do it. The target group I guess would be 20 year olds?[/QUOTE]

yeah, the kids will just flip out and format their hard drive. Which would cause them to lose all that hard earned piracy.


#13

CrimsonSoul

CrimsonSoul

I'd say target demographic would be college students with disposable income


#14



Matt²

CrimsonSoul said:
I'd say target demographic would be college students with disposable income
Click to expand...
or those who don't know better = all age ranges.. I get them all the time. "I just clicked on whatever..."


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