Trojan Demands Credit Card Number, Else Shuts Down Windows

Symantec has detected a Trojan program that appears as a real message from "Microsoft piracy control". It shuts down computers if users fail to fulfill the attackers' demands. Symantec has dubbed the malware as Trojan.Kardphisher that tries to snatch credit card numbers by enticing the user to key in the details to enable Windows. Itwire published this in news on May 6, 2007.

Symantec has described the new malware as a social engineering tactic although it produces a legitimate looking e-mail from Microsoft that instructs to provide personal and financial information.

Users who fall victim to the Trojan will find their Windows PC collapse. Further when a novice wants to reactivate it, he/ she may be easily convinced to enter his/her personal and financial details. If the person does not comply with this the Trojan gets reactivated and blocks any software from running on the affected PC.

Computer users should understand that Microsoft has nothing to do with credit card info to legalize a specimen of Windows, researchers at Symantec said, as published by Securecomputing.net on May 7, 2007.

It is evident that some strange thing is happening and hopefully lesser number of people will become victims by keying in their credit card particulars, wrote Takashi Katsuki on the blog of Symantec Security Response Unit. Securecomputing.net published the note in news on May 7, 2007.

Javier Santoyo, development manager in Symantec's research team recommends users to put in false information in the empty spaces. Santoyo told this to SCMagazine. An affected PC after restart only allows scrolling the menus. So users need to enter bogus information, says Santoyo. For, so long as the information is complete in any form one can proceed. trojans typically ask for credit card and personal information, allowing doing nothing else.

In dealing with the Trojan that has attacked a computer, Symantec suggests the user to feed in fake particulars so that at least the activation process starts. Then the user can immediately work on removing the Trojan from the system. Some anti-virus research companies have posted on their sites, instructions of how to remove the Trojan.

Related article: Trojans to Target VoIP in 2006

» SPAMfighter News - 5/15/2007