Thursday 12 July 2012

New 'virus' steals with a €100 fine for illegal downloads

SPAIN The National Plice has issued a warning about an Internet virus that, disguised as the official Policía Nacional and Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD, data protection authority), closes down the computer and demands €100 for watching pornographic material or making illegal downloads of films and music. Payment would restore the computer. This is apparently a mutation of an already existing virus that was disguised as coming from the Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE, copyright agency), which also blocked the computer and demanded €50 for downloading music illegally. (Prospero note: inflation attacks crime as well!) The National Police's Twitter site says that it never demands payment of fines over the Internet, and nor does the AEPD. It also asks for information from anyone who has been the victim of the scam.

No comments: