Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Virus Alert!! Trojan:Win32/FakeVimes

Wow. The reason I am writing about this because I hope that someone else will be saved by my very frightening experience. I am not exactly a computer pro and could have easily fallen for this just as anyone could, so please just read this and educate yourself about it. Maybe it will save you!
This Trojan:Win32/FakeVimes is actually a VIRUS imitating a VIRUS, so that you will purchase fake software- that would ultimately get into your computer and steal private information. It has a horrible noise a long with the pop ups- super scary- telling you that someone is currently "in" your computer and if you don't hurry up and purchase, it will be too late.
The good news is that I didn't get infected... I almost did...but something told me too look into the situation further before I went in complete panic mode. I am super grateful.
So, I was just doing an innocent google search when all of a sudden a bright red warning popped up on my computer telling me that I was horribly infected. The computer automatically started running (what seemed to be) a legitimate scan of Windows Defender...which resulted in 22 threats. This just scared the twinkies right out of me. But whats even more frightening was that I wasn't able to continue on with any of my work. The warnings just kept popping up, sort of freezing my computer and telling me that if I continued, my entire system would be taken over by a hacker. Little did I know that these 22 threats were really just lies being told to me by one REAL THREAT... The Trojan:Win32/FakeVimes Virus...which apparently comes from - are you ready? - surfing the internet. Pretty Scary, huh?

The way I figured it out was this:
I logged off the internet...I figured no one could steal info as long as there was no connection. I don't even know if that is true, but it made sense in my mind. It seemed to be the thing that saved me. As soon as I logged off, the warnings stopped.
Then I went into the control panel and ran my *real* windows defender. It took a much longer time to scan, and for the most part showed up clean. That is when I got my first clue that the others scans were not legitimate.
Ahhh, but the scan wasn't 100% clean. There was one threat found- the real culprit- the trojan threat. So, only 1 threat as opposed to 22 that the virus was impersonating. Also, my *real* windows defender allowed me to clean and remove it right away (labeling it as "quarantined") and I did not have to purchase anything new.
I then went to the Microsoft site to read more about it. Here is the link: http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Threat/Encyclopedia/Entry.aspx?name=Trojan%3aWin32%2fFakeVimes&threatid=4295108636
That is where it showed examples of the exact fake warning that were popping up telling me to purchase the software (which I admit, I actually considered for a mere moment!)
Phew!! Just wanted to share, incase this happened to you. If it has not...perhaps this blog will help you avoid it.

4 comments:

  1. THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!!!!!!!!
    THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!
    I had the SAME problem! I've been freakin' out for 5 days thinking my laptop was gonna crash! Those marketers are playin' real dirty; someone should report them because this cannot be legal! Scaring your customers into buying your product, how low can you get? Oops, better not tempt them :)
    I am sooo happy! I'm warning my friends and family as soon as I finish here. Thanks again! :)

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  2. Thank you so much!
    That has saved my life, computer and money!
    Your a star. I will warn all my family and friends about it! Thank again! x

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  3. just to point out to you - it's a Trojan. not a virus. Virus is a program that piggybacks onto other programs and does all it's evil stuff and then sends itself out to other machines(either on the same network or on the actual internet) to infect and do the same thing.

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