Skype Exploited for Disseminating Fake Anti-Virus: Sophos

Researchers from Sophos the security company outline that cyber-criminals have seemingly launched one scam for disseminating scareware and malware through automatically generated uninvited Skype calls.

The company points out that the automatically-generated calls contact customers at random.

Moreover, according to it (Sophos), the voice that reads out the text of the message is produced via one popular application for the purpose and once the message's recitation is over, it gets disconnected. The message, describing that it's an automated warning of computer system, tells the listener that his PC protection service isn't enabled; therefore he should click on a given web-link for enabling the service as well as mending his PC.

Senior Technology Consultant Graham Cluley at Sophos tried the web-link referred to within the video for observing the effect on victims. Consequently, he found and told that it was clear from the calls, which were automatically generated from Skype, that Internet crooks were immensely pressured for devising fresh social engineering tactics so they could possibly deceive the unsuspecting public. Tgdaily.com published this on September 19, 2011.

Cluley stated that people, who didn't know about fake anti-virus or scareware scams, could as well get sufficiently concerned and thus go to the website mentioned within the message that would falsely scan their PC's security.

Surprisingly though, the website would show a message that the user's PC wasn't appropriately safeguarded therefore he should load its application priced $19.95. Moreover, the website appeared keen that the user provided his contact information, especially his e-mail id, Cluley further stated.

He added that despite an end-user not believing the said things as well as refusing for making the payment for the so-called infection-removal tool, if he just provided his e-mail id, that would be a sure situation when he'd start getting massive spam mails as well as possibly a few malware items, which would 'phish' for confidential information. Softpedia.com published this on September 19, 2011.

Cluley suggests end-users that incase they do not wish for getting uninvited Skype calls, they should alter their privacy configurations in order that merely people on their address lists can contact them.

Related article: Skype Plugs Critical Security Hole

» SPAMfighter News - 9/28/2011