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Many Australians Forced To Pay For "Unbreakable" Cryptolocker Ransomware

An anonymous reader writes: Australians are paying thousands of dollars to overseas hackers to rid their computers of an unbreakable virus [Cryptolocker]. The deputy chairwoman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Delia Rickard, said over the past two months there had been a spike in the number of people falling victim to the scam. The commission has received 2,500 complaints this year and estimates about $400,000 has been paid to the hackers. Bad news for Australians: this is just one of many targetting the country.

4 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Silly bogans... by greenfruitsalad · · Score: 3, Funny

    but shouldn't they be used to this? i mean EVERYTHING in that country evolved to kill them. what's a bit of ransomware compared to magpies attacking their eyes when they go shopping? ever touched gympie gympie? just look at children armed with dingo sticks on their way to school... WTF is ransomware compared to that? on a scale of 1 to 10, this sofrware must be -5.

  2. Re:Silly bogans... by mjwx · · Score: 3, Funny

    The real risk are the Drop Bears. Suicidal little buggers. Gotten worse since they figured out how to make explosives.

    Seriously, a lot of Australians are just idiots. Computer technology has proliferated in the last 20 odd years but brains haven't. Almost everyone now has some kind of computer and has to use one for work but cant seem to grasp the basics of security. I have to wonder if these people would open a package some random stranger gave them on the street.

    Combine this with the fact there is a large subculture glorifying idiocy and backwards thinking in this country (that's about to become a serious problem, but that is for another thread) and it's little wonder that people are getting Cryptolockers.

    I have no sympathy for them, its the sysadmins that have to restore backups that I feel sorry for. Inevitably Braindead Bruce will get angry at the sysadmin when they find out that Bruce didn't keep backups of his important files (read: porn and car pictures).

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  3. Re:One client has fallen for it four times by MrNaz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Have you considered replacing her computer with one of those Fisher Price toy computers that just makes beeping noises when you press the keys? From what you say, it doesn't seem like she'd notice.

    --
    I hate printers.
  4. Re:Silly bogans... by dbIII · · Score: 3, Funny

    Do you actually check server longs?

    In Australia we call them waiters, and no, I like the girls too much to be interested.