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Thread: Fake Firefox warnings lead to scareware

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    Default Fake Firefox warnings lead to scareware

    Purveyors of fake security software don't let much grass grow under their feet and continually make improvements to their social engineering lures.

    While most of the talk for the past month has been their move to Mac with fake Finder pop-ups that appear to scan your computer, they haven't stopped innovating on Windows either.

    Their latest scam? They detect your user-agent string from your web browser and display a fake Firefox security alert if you are using the Mozilla Firefox web browser.






    Internet Explorer users get the standard "My Computer" dialog that appears to do a system scan inside their browser window.

    Taking advantage of detailed information about the person's computer and software allows for a much more specific, believable social engineering attempt.

    We are likely to continue to see these criminals targeting each operating system, browser and any other details that can be gleaned from HTTP requests sent from our devices.

    If you click the "Start Protection" button you will download the latest, greatest fake anti-virus program which will perform exactly the way you would expect a fake anti-virus program it to.

    It will faithfully detect fake viruses on your computer until you register it for $80 or more.

    If you are a Firefox user and see a warning about viruses on your computer, you will know it is fake. Firefox does not include a virus scanner inside of it and it will only warn you about visiting malicious pages.

    If you get a warning about a dangerous website from Firefox you can always play it safe... Close the browser.

    This was taken directly from.






    Mick

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    gordon_s1942 (31-05-11),kevin1341 (31-05-11),z1gg33 (31-05-11)



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    Another to add to the fake WINCARE emails and the fellow with the Indian accent who calls to tell you your computer has flagged a warning on their system and needs attention.
    Is their game just to virus your computer or sell you a 'Patch/Fix' to remove it and then after a period, the problem reappears, hoping to trap you into a never ending cycle of paying out ?
    Last edited by gordon_s1942; 31-05-11 at 03:22 PM.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    If you are a Firefox user and see a warning about viruses on your computer, you will know it is fake. Firefox does not include a virus scanner inside of it and it will only warn you about visiting malicious pages.

    Key paragraph
    If you feed ducks at a pond, chances are your bound to feed a goose or two without even knowing it.

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    A couple of weeks ago I happen to be looking for a service manual anyway
    Google gave me a list and one of them was a Scribd site which I had used before. Now the first 3-4 times I tried to enter the website I was redirected to that typical My Computer fake scan then the 5th time I was able to enter the site as usual. This was whilst using xp and internet explorer, very strange.

    Obviously Viruses etc are still being made but these days it's more about tricking people into handing over details etc.



    Mick

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