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US Warns Users of Child-Porn Blackmail Ransomware
coondoggie writes "The nasty Trojan known as Citadel malware, which is based on Zeus, has typically been used to extort money from online banking users, but a new variant is making the rounds that tries to get your money by saying you looked at child porn sites and must pay a violation fee to the U.S. Department of Justice. This variation, called Reveton, lures the victim to a drive-by download website, at which time the ransomware is installed on the user's computer, says the U.S. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Once installed, the computer freezes and a screen is displayed warning the user they have violated United States Federal Law."
Its not like you can call the police and complain about it. You'll instantly get labeled as a pedo and have your kids taken away.
A "violation fee" to the "Department of Justice" for a felony without conviction.
What kind of idiot is going to--- never mind.
Evolution before our very eyes, watch out creationists!
I think that singling out kiddie porn is kinda stupid though since not too many people watch it. Just illegal porn would be much better. I guess it can be pretty much anything at all with these people browsing the web with internet explorer 6.0 using adobe flash, microsoft silverlight and oracle java and every other plugin you can imagine.
Hope you catch many idiots!
I'm pretty sure with all the "DINK OF TEH CHILLUNS!" bullshit that goes on that we burn anyone that looks at child porn at the stake, no one will believe they can get away with it for just a fine.
I actually expected this to really plant CP on the victim's computer and offer to remove it for a fee. Now THAT would be an asshole move.
Sounds like a job for a bootable Linux lite thumb drive with trojan hunting files.
Bury the old dribe somewhere unretrievable
I guess "old dribe" must be the guy sending out these blackmail notices then.
lures the victim to a drive-by download website
What? Why is this still even a thing? What browser setup are people using that this is still a viable attack vector?
I've seen a version that's been localised to the UK; apparently there are also versions localised to Canada. I haven't analysed it but it wouldn't surprise me if it's all the same trojan and it uses geolocation to display an appropriate logo.
Brilliant scam because even if the user knows it's a load of rubbish, nobody wants to be even remotely associated with paedophilia. You'd have to be a bit of an idiot to think you could make such an accusation go away by paying a small fine - or for that matter to believe that the police's MO in these cases is to put a great big warning on your screen (rather than to arrest you at dawn and take all your computers away), but I suspect there are probably enough idiots in this world to make it profitable.
Brilliant scam, lol
it's not really targeted at child pornography. I've moved the German version from a couple of PC's (BundesPolizei it said) a couple of months ago, and it said something 'pornographic material has been found on your computer etc...'. So child pornography was just part of the options. Anyway, it's exactly the same type of scam as those fake anti-virus trojans that try you to lure into buying their 'software'. It's not really looking for pornography on your computer, it's just giving that message to everyone and trying to scare them into paying.
make one of these that informs people to instruct government on what and where the taxes they pay are to be spent.
US Warning of Child-Porn Blackmail Ransomware Remains Unheeded
US Gov. to proceed with CISPA anyway.
Who couldn't see this coming? First, you make "looking at child porn" the worstest crime imaginable, like genocide against against a million nuns, worst than murder, worst than cannibalism, worst than, I don't know, eating fatty food, and then you...PROFIT!
Anybody want to bet that in the next few years (or less) we'll be hearing about some major politician who has (cue the somber, scary music...) looked at drawings of naked children.
"Is he right for America? We don't think so. Paid for by Americans for Families and Stopping Immoral Behavior among People Who are Different From Us."
You are welcome on my lawn.
let's say the Kelly Middle School gets hit by this what will happen then??
Sucks to be anyone running Windows, I guess now all Windows users are pedo's, good job Gates!
The operators of this extortion system should be on the "Public Enemy #1" list. Not only are they an organized syndicate extorting from Americans, on a very large and nationwide scale. They are impersonating Federal officers to do it. Protecting the ability of Americans to respect someone who claims to be a cop, especially a Federal one, is among the highest priorities of the Justice Department. Or at least it should be.
The failure of the FBI and the other cop agencies we give $BILLIONS to every year, who have vast and even un-Constitutional powers to do whatever they want in the name of protecting us, to do what's necessary to stop these giant phishing operations is baffling mystery. Why banks are allowed to let their trademarked brands get diluted by phishers robbing in their name, resulting in large and widespread losses contrary to the very essence of trademark and copyright, is a mystery. But the failure of the cops to protect themselves is even more bizarre.
--
make install -not war
Can I pay the ransom in bitcoin?
This trojan just provided everyone ever accused of possessing kiddie porn with reasonable doubt.
Insight and accurate information should be rewarded.
...will it run on Linux?
1 make it a lot easier for folks to get hands on Self Booting Fix discs (hint Norton/Mcafee/ect should include this in their products)
2 redefine CP laws so that CP is defined in a strict narrow way:
as a rough example:
A Does it depict a Sex Act with a Minor?? (wiggle for models with actual ages not in line with appearance needs to be written in)
or
B Is the Model NUDE (or only clothed in something Trival) AND is it devoid of Artistic Diagnostic or Documentary Value
or
C Does it depict any other crime
Then the Pic/Vid/media IS NOT CHILD PORN.
the problem is BURN THE WITCH!! is never Justice so we need sanity in the laws.
Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge
A "violation fee" to the "Department of Justice" for a felony without conviction.
What kind of idiot is going to--- never mind.
You won't see it for child porn investigations, but for fraud and other white-collar crimes you frequently see the feds doing a "civil prosecution" instead of or in addition to a criminal one.
Many civil prosecutions wind up with something akin to a plea bargain: The feds offer to close the case in exchange for paying a "violation fee," er, I mean a fine, and perhaps agree to oversight or other "consent decree" conditions, without admitting any wrongdoing.
The burden of proof for the government in a civil prosecution is a lot lower and when it is met, those responsible for wrongdoing are subject to significant forfeitures and/or civil fines, the objective of deterring other greedy people is met, and nobody goes to jail or winds up with a criminal conviction.
Unfortunately, civil prosecution is also harder for an innocent person to fight.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Next time, be grey-hat:
Next time circulate "You have downloaded child p0rn" ransom-ware only among people who have actually intentionally done so.
Even better, target police pretending to be child-porn-traders. This should be easy as they no doubt widely outnumber real child-porn-traders.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
One more reason to have the “Clear Cache in Exit“ activated.
But you are right: Most do not know about that.
Interesting: In Germany the content of the browser cache is not considered “possessing“.