The disclaimer prompt displayed by the virus can be a very scary experience that catches any type of computer user off guard. This virus can even cause a rift or tension between people that share one computer. It’s important for computer users to remember not to blame each other for contracting this malicious virus. The virus comes with detailed instructions and typically displays a deadline of 48 to 72 hours to make the payment online. Some of the disclaimers for this virus quote federal statutes and tell computer users to contact an “fbi.gov” email if they have any problems. This is a very convincing ruse, but it’s simply a sophisticated scam, nothing more.
Many people contract this virus on websites that are booby trapped, emails and different social media links. It’s important for computers users to remember that anytime they see a message or prompt similar to what is described above; it’s absolutely a scam, and not a message from the FBI.
The reason that the majority of the customers contract this FBI virus failed to upgrade their respective anti-virus software with the latest updates. The reason this is so important is because hackers are constantly making new modifications and creating different versions of this virus in order to circumvent many of the latest online fixes. Initially, the FBI virus mostly affected users with a Windows OS; more recently, Mac users are being infected as well. Fortunately, smartphones haven’t been susceptible or infected with this virus as of yet.
Please Note: that the FBI and the other company logos seen on this screenshot have nothing to do with this message. These images are being used by the hackers to trick their victims. Walmart Responds to FBI Virus Since it’s one of the major retailers that sell the Green Dot MoneyPak card, Walmart has already released a statement concerning the “FBI virus” that has victimized many computer users.
The Internet Crime Compliant Center is a collaborative partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. Green Dot also recently issued a release stating that they would be cooperating with the FBI and the DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Division in order to protect computer users from this virus.
There is no doubt that most computer users panic when they are barred from their OS, and see this
prompt donning a badge from the local authority. Fortunately, there are computer technicians and
software packages available that are able to remove this virus manually. However, many computer technicians say it can be extremely difficult for the average layperson to find the source file of the virus once it is already on the computer.
Green Dot urges consumers to call in and report any fraudulent activity that resembles this FBI virus. Green Dot will typically try to recover any funds they can when contacted immediately by a consumer that has been recently victimized by the FBI scam. Green Dot will also work with law enforcement in order to try and identify the culprits as well. It’s important for computer users to remember not to give in to this latest scam, no matter what it says about a deadline or having your personal information. It’s important for computer users to remember that the government or any local authority would never require payments to be sent with a Green Dot Money Pak card over the internet.
