Recent reports suggest scareware could be making a comeback…
According to IN Homeland Security, the probability of scareware, a software designed to be the solution to a nonexistent problem, is going to make a big comeback. The likelihood of these predictions being correct appears to be quite high.
An IT security professional recently contacted the Spiceworks IT community for assistance on a potential scareware infection. The IT professional reported that after running multiple scans, nothing was suggesting there was an internal issue. It is believed these messages were scareware, used to prompt the user to call the number within the message for “assistance”.
In an effort to avoid falling for false alarms, contact your security software provider if you receive any messages on your computer about a malware infection. If you call the phone number listed in the malware alert, there is a good possibility you’re calling the hackers. This creates a major issue, as you could be providing payment information or remote access to a person who is most certainly not looking out for your best interests. As I said, it is best to call your security software company directly.
However, this leads to another question. What about phones and tablets? Do you have security software on them? If so, you may need to use it if you’re a part of the latest Pokémon Go craze. Reports made by Huffington Post stated the app “Guide and Cheats for Pokémon Go” included scareware, which also potentially includes ransomware. So, to be clear, not only could you possibly get messages for issues that are nonexistent, you could also be infected with ransomware too?! Ouch. Your best bet for this particular case – avoid this app all together.
