Have You Caught the Fake “Police Virus” Ransomware?
Have you had any alarming notices claiming to be from the police (or other law-enforcement authorities) pop up on your computer, accusing you of various unpleasant and illegal activities and demanding a “fine”?
The Problem…
Guess what- it’s all fake.
If you get a ‘warning’ like this when you turn on your computer, you’ve caught the infamous ‘Police Virus’. This has nothing to do with the real police– it’s an entirely fake criminal scam that uses made-up accusations as an excuse to hold your computer to ransom. In short, it’s just another form of “ransomware”- malware designed to extort money from the victim.
There are many variants of the messages shown by the police virus, often tailored to fit different countries. For example, American versions claim to be from the FBI, Australian versions use their “Federal Police”, etc. Those in the UK often claim to be from the “Metropolitan Police” (they’re not), but we’ve seen the identities of other UK police authorities used as well.
Demands for payment via the Ukash service are common in UK-based versions. (We should make clear here that Ukash themselves are not the perpetrators of the scam).
The Solution!
The good news is that you don’t have to pay them to get your computer back– Disc Depot has years of experience in virus removal! We can deal with the Police Virus and all its unpleasant friends, including spyware, malware and more. Contact Disc Depot Dundee today on (01382) 22 66 26 or email us via our contact form. Or visit us at our shop at 16 Union Street in Dundee City Centre, just off the Nethergate and two minutes’ walk from the Overgate.
Example Fake “Police Virus” Scam Message
The message that follows is a typical example of the fake messages used in the “Police Virus” scam. We’ve actually altered some details for legality (e.g. the names of organisations and companies misused in the scam) and for decency (i.e. some of the bogus “crimes” listed were not suitable for mention here):-
IP: 192.168.125.12*
Country: United Kingdom
City: Dundee
ISP: Broadband Cable Ltd.*
Operating System: Windows 7 (64-bit)
User Name: Sam Plename
ATTENTION! YOUR PC IS BLOCKED DUE TO AT LEAST
ONE OF THE REASONS SPECIFIED BELOW.
Your operational system is locked as a result of UK law violations! The following violations were revealed; your IP address was detected on illegal websites featuring banned material which was detected on your computer!
Illegal spam of terrorist orientation has also been mailed from your PC. This lockout is intended to eliminate possible distribution of the above materials from your PC to the Internet.
For your PC to be unlocked you have to pay a fine of £100! This penalty is to be paid during a period of 24 hours from the moment when your PC was locked. If the penalty is not paid all the data will be removed from your PC!
There are 2 ways to pay:-
1. You can buy an FQuid coupon for the amount of £100. Enter the FQuid coupon number in the payment field and press OK or send the coupon number by email to people@example.com. You can buy the FQuid coupon at any available point.
2. You can pay the penalty by means of EasyPayCard. Payment by means of EasyPayCard should be for the amount of £100. Enter the pin code from your bill in the payment field and press OK or send the pin code by email to people@example.com. You can buy EasyPayCard at any
available point.
As soon as payment is received, your PC will be unlocked within 24 hours of
payment. [etc. etc.]
