BitTorrent users beware: malware tries (and succeeds!) to extort money

Filed under: Internet, Security, P2P

Those crazy phishers! Barely a day goes by without some crazy new method of liberating people of their hard-earned cash. Today though, we have a new attack vector: rather than focusing on the old and stupid, this attack targets pirates! This new malware attack, detailed by TorrentFreak, relies on a combination of fear and uncertainty to extort money from file sharers.

The malware installs itself in the usual manner -- an email attachment, an unpatched web browser -- and then pops up a 'Copyright violation alert' (see above). It seems to scan your hard drive for traces of illegal software -- .torrent files, seemingly -- so as to add some credibility to the claim that you've broken the law.

But that's not all! This is the best bit: you are then asked if you want to go to trial to defend your illegal act... or opt for the $400 pre-trial settlement (screenshot after the break):

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BitTorrent users beware: malware tries (and succeeds!) to extort money originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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