Windows Scam!

THE SCAM


1. A person calls you and says that he knows about a threat or fault in your PC system.
2. He  convinces you that you need their services by showing you warnings which are not really harmful.

3. He lets you download a malicious software or even a legitimate REMOTE DESKTOP software (ammyy in this situation)

4. Once installed, he can control your computer just like sitting next to it! He can copy the whole content of your drive, the personal things and even banking details you have saved in your PC

5. In case of malicious scarewares, a useless software that pretends to scan your drive  will show you fairytale infections after finishing the fake scan, and will make you purchase  or donate something to help you get rid of these.

PLAYING WITH THE SCAMMERS


As I was waiting for my bleep to go off ( called twice this day already), I received a call from a man with an indian accent claiming to be from windows, and told me that they have "monitored" that my computer has a problem. How miraculous! My wife got the same call two weeks ago and did not bothered to speak to them, which is good!


I was bored and nothing to do, so I decided to play with them for fun, and I wanted to know the things they do to scam somebody. I deliberately followed their instructions and took the bait of opening up computer management, (START, RIGHT CLICK ON myCOMPUTER, CLICK COMPUTER MANAGEMENT, CLICK + sign of WINDOWS LOGS) and see warning signs on APPLICATION and SYSTEM logs. I told them I could not see anything and it was just white screen and the bottom grey screen. In fact there were signs and warnings especially at the applications and settings folder. But these warnings are automatically logged as an event when you use applications, warnings, alerts and so on, these are just NORMAL processes.


Having said that I can not see anything, the man asked me to go to www.ammyy.com. I noticed that it is a PC remote desktop application! There's one thing that came from my mind. So if he is really from windows, he should be telling me to use the built in "remote desktop assistance" pre installed in any windows machine! Remote desktop applications include log me in, go to my PC, teamviewer , and so on. These programs allow sharing of files, manipulating a computer from a remote location using internet protocol. I am familiar with team viewer, which I used remotely with a friend whose screen image appeared sideways before, I am sure Arnold can still remember that magical afternoon, 20 to 30 miles apart.

I am not familiar with ammyy remote assistance which they told me to download. I did not download it because I thought it was their product that can infiltrate my laptop for more damage. I used whois and found out that it is a legitimate program. So I just googled some screenshots of the program and told them what I see in the screenshots to make the impression that the program is already installed in my machine. Then when he asked me to start connection, I just told him that the computer hanged and "blamed" the sofware I downloaded for the crash. He instructed me to download again, and complied three times but he can not get through it because I always reason out the computer hanged. The man gave up after 30 minutes.

After 10 minutes, he called up again and told he has a solution, he will give me a disc for computer trouble shooting and management for half price. £49.99 is the full price, and he is just charging me for £20.00 plus a set of precision tools. I asked him if he takes credit or debit, cheque or cash, and he answered any card will do. I gave him imaginary names, address and numbers which miraculously accepted by his "data base".


Will I get the items? Surely not. The address is wrong, the recipient is wrong, the card is wrong!

 So be careful with calls telling you, you have a problem with your computer. They just want you to get infected or they want to control your machine with your help! Do not also fall for their offers. If they are legitimate, they should have detected the false details I supplied them, like when you are buying online, just one wrong character or number nullifies everything!

My New Movie Blog

Made a new blog yesterday while waiting for emergencies (oncall na naman) and decided to separate movies in a new blog. Movies section at this site is already removed and now  everything at http://zinelibre.blogspot.com.

Separate pages for Philippine sites serving Pinoy movies created and picked just the latest uploads. Powered by RSS, I am a bit lazy exept for the main page, powered by embeded codes. That's lazier.

You can also request a movie and I will find it for you.  And a tip, if you are using the latest internet explorer, try switching to the latest firefox, as the ie browser needs plug in of a C something codec. the firefox does not require one.

Links to download firefox is at the site. I hope you'll enjoy the visit.

Anti Frustration Software

PC and laptop users might have noticed a drop in their machines response in booting up over time. The longer you've been using your machine, the longer it takes for it to boot up. Sometimes it is frustrating that it crashes and doesn't know what was the cause.

As discussed in the previous post, the response in booting up is affected by programs you have installed, spywares, viruses, etc. In the previous post, a discussion is written on what to do with these programs that run alongside or before windows is booted up. The rule is, the more programs running before or alongside windows booting up, the longer for the machine to be ready for you to use it. It might take up to 10 minutes, or longer when lots of unnecessary programs are loaded at the start up.

With that in mind, we know that we need to trim out the number of programs at start up. It is easy if we know how to go and what to stop without affecting the basic functions of the machine. I know that this fact puts off most novice users.

SOLUTO

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a program that does this without manually going into the start up programs, and manually deciding which ones are safe to stop. As this program decides which one is safe to go, which is based from it's data base from it's programmers and users alike. It can decide which one is useless and doesn't affect your machine so it is safe to turn off from start up. It can even sense crashes on the programs you use, which might give you a solution instantly or in the future if it is not yet available.

Download SOLUTO here

Using SOLUTO

1. After download and installation, the computer needs to be restarted. You will notice a peel away section above the start button showing how far the boot is from completion and the programs being loaded.

 2. Trimming the start up programs. Click the SOLUTO icon at the systems menu, this will load up SOLUTO's interface.

3. The interface shows you which are the programs that can be deleted without compromising the PC's performance and security, those programs that can be deleted, and the programs that are part of the  system which can not be removed.

4. Trimming start up program key words, PAUSE to stop it from running, DELAY will run after windows finishes loading

 5. If you have stopped an application by mistake, you can re start again by clicking the undo button at the removed applications list.

Video Tutorial:

How to Facebook Video Chat

At last, the functionality FB fans are waiting for, the official  video chat has arrived. I termed it official because there are video chat copycats there but before you can use them, you need to do something for the apps developer, like joining something, liking it, or completing  an offer.

Again, these copycats are not really safe, specially when you'll be asked  permission for the apps to post on your wall, to have access on your info offline, or your friends infos. I can only advise not to fall into these apps, or any apps that can access your info and can post into your wall. Before you know it, your friends will be receiving inappropriate content sent by YOU!

Let's get started with FB Video Chat.

1. Log in to your FB profile and in new tab or window, go to the apps official FB Video Chat page which is
http://www.facebook.com/videocalling  

(If you are in a rush just click the download link at  http://dragon.ak.fbcdn.net/cfs-ak-snc6/85003/41/FacebookVideoCallSetup_v1.2.199.0.exe) Then go to next step

 

2. Click the GET STARTED BUTTON and FB chat applet will be downloaded and you need to click the downloaded file to begin the installation.

3. Once finished installing, click your chat button and go online. See your contacts for anyone online and click their name and start chatting. 

4. At the chat window, you will notice the videocam icon at the top, click that button to initiate video call. 

   4.1. If your contact has already installed FB Video Chat installed, you can initiate video call straight away.    

   4.2  In case she has not, a notification to install the applet will be shown at her side and she needs to install the apps before you can use video chat.

4.3 Below is the notification that my contact is installing FB Video Chat.

5. After my contact has finished installation, the video chat is initialised.

The video is of decent resolution and the audio is also good, although the resolution depends on the quality of your webcam. Sometimes the video is not in sync with the audio, but this depends on the broadband connection speed (upload and download speed) you are getting and the speed of the provider of the one you are on chat with. The condition I described above is with this upload and download speed conditions.  3016kbps download and 321 kbps upload. Overall performance I can say is OK!

.FB Video chat maybe disappointing to those with lower broadband speed. You can check your internet speed at http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/  or just google check my broadband speed when not in the UK.

Now you know how to start, let's FB Video Chat!

If you find  this article helpful, please post it on your wall by clicking FB share button at the left! And not the least thanks, Cecil!

How Did You Post Something You Did Not?

Posting on a friends wall isn't wrong at all, but what makes it wrong is the nature of the material, and because FB profile can be created by children, care is needed in choosing what to paste. It is not because it is easy to put on links, you can share whatever you like. Responsibility relies on you as a user considering the range of your viewers.

Everyday, incidents of indecent photos and videos are being posted in FB walls by friends.  And I know that most of this posts are not really intended by your friends to share. They are victims of scam "pages", "like" scams, "apps" scams and so on, that the ultimate goal is to take over their accounts. How? Because your friends let the apps take over their accounts! Not only your friends, you can be sending this materials without your knowledge as well, when you took action (clicked and joined)to what they sent.

Now your friends have the impression you are also sending  all these nasties in their walls. And the cycle goes on. Then you ask how did you post something you did not? How did the apps send messages to your friends without you knowing? Hacking? Maybe not! Below is the simple explanation.

When you want to try an application, conditions before it let's you join include

accessing your basic info

giving permision for the app to email you

permission to post on your wall

access your data anytime

permission to access your friend's info

By letting any application or page to do this on your account, it is like giving your profile access to the apps to do what it likes!  This means that you've also played a part without knowing. So next time your profile does something nasty, do not think you are hacked. You just allowed some rougue apps and pages to do this on your behalf. It is wiser not to allow that app! Specially when it can access your data anytime, can post to your wall, can email you and can access your friends info!

But if you made a mistake and did allow it, good news is you can remove this apps in your profile. I am not just so sure if it will make any difference but at least try. Instructions on how to remove apps is at my previous post. Or click the link below.

http://prakticality.blogspot.com/2011/07/facebook-page-like-scam.html

Facebook "Page Like" Scam

Social network code writers are going beyond the code writer's ethics. They make applications that whichever way you decide to click, yes or no, or even you click the x tab at the top of the window, the "I like it" selection is always selected. The program then has control in all of your contacts, walls etc. And their applications will be glued to your lists of useless programs. And it's not only that, it will also spread itself like wildfire to your friend's lists and even to their own lists, when they are tricked to open it.

I know you wished not ever tempted to click on those applications that promised you nothing but annoyance, and sometimes shame, because all of your friends will know you've clicked such a thing as it appeared in your wall.

You can check what are the apps that you have clicked in your wall, but remember that the apps in there is not the complete list, other programs hide themselves. You can only see them all, hidden or not, when you access your apps page. See incomplete list shown at the wall below compared to the complete list under the profiles apps list further down.

The best thing to do with annoying program is to remove it straightaway before it can take over your friend's lists. You need to log in to facebook then just click on the link below to get you into your apps lists. And just click X to delete.

http://www.facebook.com/editaccount.php?networks#!/settings/?tab=applications

Becareful which page you click, even though your friends recommend it to you, as your friend's account may have been a member of a botnet zombies without him knowing.