May 15, 2007

NEWS: Beware of Windows Phishing Scam

Internet securities company Symantec noted recently that an internet phishing scam disguising itself as Microsoft Windows registration pages is making its rounds, and preying on unsuspecting victims. Apparently, these faux pages are embedded with a Trojan virus that snaps up credit card information for the purpose of identity theft.

Reportedly, the trojan parrots the appearance and characteristics of Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) anti-piracy software, which tracks down pirated copies of the operating system. When an infected computer boots up, the virus pops up a window that (incorrectly) tells the user that another user has used their serial number of Windows. To “re-activate” the software, the page asks for a phone number, e-mail address, and credit card information. To be even more compelling, the virus will actually shut down the PC if the user tries to bypass the screen.

Microsoft claims that it will not ask for verification in this fashion, and says that the prevalence of this style of fraud only serves to illustrate the constant vigilance that consumers must necessarily employ in dealing with internet communications. Critics of the WGA claim that it essentially amounts to spyware in and of itself, as it reports back to Microsoft without the user’s express consent.


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