Beware~FBI Virus Can Lockdown Your PC!!!

Yes, the Norton guy from India was quiet nice with helping me to recover from a nasty virus a few months ago. He really earned the $49.95 for services. Really, he did:)

That one hit one of our old computers as well. my son says it has mutated, it used to be a $100 fine.

Comcast, our IP, said there are several versions, as they keep finding ways around the anti-virus protections.

Sounds like I should do a full computer scan.

Is there someone you can report that type of scam to?

That's what I did initially (with my IP), but it didn't work~that's when I called Norton. I was told by both that this is most likely an overseas job, & the U.S. has no authority and/or capability to intervene.

This is just Shameful, we have to constanally watch out for these things. :(

Quite a scare. Glad it was not worse.

I still don't understand why people create nasty viruses anyways. i think it is just mean spirited,

They do it for one or both of two reasons.

1) To steal from you, and/or
2) To get an ego boost.

It is sad that people has to do this kind of stuff. Glad you got yours fixed.

Something similar happened a couple of years ago on our old Dell computer. I went nuts. We turned off the machine, turned it back on, put on our virus scan, quarantined whatever it was and got rid of it. Scared the life out of me and, as with you, hubby thought I broke the computer.

What an ordeal to go through!

So, you were having fun while I was gone. LOL.

Yikes!!!

READ ALL OF THIS BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, reading it step by step won't work. Your best bet is to COMPLETELY uninstall Norton, it's trash. Download Avast at http://www.avast.com/en-us/index make sure you get the free version, & make sure you're not redirected to a site that isn't Avast, & that you don't download or install anything but Avast. Run a THOROUGH scan of your entire computer, including all drives, root directories, etc., & set it to the highest scan level. It takes hours, but you have to spend the time now. If you don't have backup install disks that you know for sure work, DO NOT allow any anti-virus scan to delete or modify files on the partitioned drive where the install files are kept.

Visit http://housecall.trendmicro.com/au/index.html, let both Avast & Housecall find any problems & fix using the precaution above about install files...then reformat the computer entirely...you can & should back up your files before you do that because this process will wipe them out. DO NOT put them back on the computer without making sure you run a virus scan on them first. You can do that with Avast, & Housecall later by selecting the drive they're stored on. Also, if you're using a thumb drive, include that in all of the scans. It may look as if either scan has found viruses in programs that you know are safe, sometimes it does. But, it's too late to worry about that, & it might be flagging them because the virus is embedded in those files/programs.

After you've reformatted, get rid of Norton again if it came with the computer {sigh}, do a new install of Avast, & run both the Avast & Housecall scans again, also VERY THOROUGH, scan again. THEN & ONLY THEN, run an Avast scan on the backup files, & only add them back to your hard drive when you're sure they're clean.

I know it's a pain, & I'm really sorry, but all the tools I pointed to are free. We've used Avast for years, & unlike Norton, there has never, ever been a virus it hasn't caught, & we've never paid a penny. The reason for using Housecall on top of it is that not every anti-virus has all the updated virus info...there are just too many to keep track.

When you're done with the above, also d/l & install Malwarebytes at http://www.malwarebytes.org/lp/malware_lp/?gclid=CPX_7aHg_rICFcN_QgodamAAPA Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the free version. You should probably install & run Malwarebytes before you reformat, too, especially if Avast & Housecall don't find anything.

If you're not sure if you know how to protect your computer on an advanced level, I would get the paid version, but the free one is good, too. The "live" protection expires after 30 days, so don't assume it's still scanning while you surf after that. We've had some memory hogging issues with it, but it's still the best protection in tandem with Avast that you can get. Malware & viruses aren't exactly the same thing :-).

IF YOU DON'T REFORMAT, you could be leaving yourself open to something much worse, like identity theft. Viruses take advantage of security holes in your system, & they leave it open for other viruses to use the door that the first opened to plant more. Reformatting may not help. If you're still seeing problems, the virus remains on your hard drive, & you'll have to take it to a shop to have them wipe the drive completely, & remove any viruses from your back ups if they can.

So sorry, that's the only way I can think of to help :-).

I didn't put that in my post, but the Norton guy did have to uninstall & reinstall. Thanx for the extra info, but you probably could do a separate post so that more people see it.

Did he have you uninstall/reinstall, or reformat...those are two different things. If your files were still on the computer, then he didn't have you make sure the virus was eliminated. It may not be as visible, but will still cause problems. Sorry it wasn't info you could use--wish I could help :-).

I gave him permission to access our PC, & from what you're describing, he did just that, by going into the infected files & deleting them~it took about 1/2 hour & when he was done he assured me he got rid of it all.

So far, so good~no problemos!

Glad you're not having problems! I didn't realize your hubby knows about computers...he can explain the difference between a reformat, & a virus cleaning. Hope it continues to work without further problems!

Not hubby (& not married)~I was referring to the Norton guy!

Shoot, sorry, I was trying to cruse through the posts quickly so I could actually get something done today, must have mixed you up with someone else. Hope Paige & all are doing well!

Thanx Becky, I will be updating Paigey soon~think your comment belonged down below...

Thanks for the warning. This is one reason to do back ups on your files so you don't lose any of them. I am fortunate. My husband has worked in the computer industry since the early 70's so he takes care of stuff like that for me. We also have a computer that acts as a firewall. Though I am careful not to open mail I don't know the sender.

I'm usually careful too, but it probably said "Mari" & I clicked it open & luckily it didn't harm any personal files~lucky lady to have a computer tech hubby!

I had fun back in the 1983 when he built an s-100 system and I helped hand him parts while he soldered them into the memory card. He works in the software/systems areas and makes software tools but he knows the hardware part as well. Both my sons, no surprise there, work in the computer field as well. Also he was a mentor for my son in law before he met and married my older daughter.... James looked at a photo of my daughters, recently taken when Jenny was 23 and Jordan was 3 and said I am going to marry your daughter one day. I said, Jenny lives in Conn. And you are going to have a long wait for Jordan. He made a business trip near where Jenny lived... and asked for her email... and they went out on a "blind date"... and the rest is history. :)

Wow, cool story, but a bit confused~James married Jenny, right?