Belgian PCs Contaminated with Malware Posing as e-Cops

Malware is presently attacking computers of Belgian Internauts as it circulates pretending to be 'e-Cops,' published datanews.knack.be dated February 21, 2012.

It maybe mentioned that 'e-Cops' is a reporting service in Belgian which facilitates Web-surfers to inform about crime incidences occurring in the country via online reporting.

Importantly, according to Head of the Cops' FCCU (Federal Computer Crime Unit) Luc Beirens, the latest malware attack is based on the joint utilization of 'ransomware' i.e. malicious software through which money is forcibly extracted from Web-surfers, and 'phishing' wherein online-crooks, posing as some trustworthy authority, steal confidential data or cash from the Internet-users. Typically, ransomware is software code, which locks the victim's computer, explains Beirens. Datanews.knack.be published this.

Moreover, the malware attack has fake e-mails sent to potential victims telling them that their computers have been locked owing to them breaching the Belgian act which the authorities have observed.

Incidentally, investigators handling the case remark that victims would essentially get contaminated soon as they participate in specific Internet-games.

Nevertheless, the malware may also get disseminated through other familiar modes, they add. These are e-mail attachments; counterfeit software, which's passed across peer-to-peer (P2P) shared networks; and social-networking messages such as on Facebook which take surfers onto other sites for playing movie files, but the sites prompt them to update software to be able to see the movie and thus displays a pop-up.

Nonetheless, whatever the case, even as the computer gets contaminated followed with getting locked, the user continues to have access to the payment opportunity, suggesting the presence of sophisticated cyber-crooks, investigators add. Reportedly, the computer maybe unlocked only after paying 200EUR through the Ukash/Paysafecard payment services.

Unfortunately, according to FCCU, some offshore experiences indicate that even after making the payment, victims weren't provided the unlocking key.

Since then FCCU has been striving for determining the malware type as also greatly encouraging victims for finding the source of the ransomware insisted for payment.

Conclusively, in likewise assaults during December 2011, cyber-criminals used the names and goodwill of Dutch Police, Spanish Police and UK Metropolitan Cops in their scams towards serving ransomware and forcing the public to pay up.

Related article: Belgian Defense Ministry Web Site Shuts Down Briefly

» SPAMfighter News - 3/3/2012