Beware of the 'Ammyy' Security Patch Phone Scam

There is a widespread scam on the rise in many English-speaking countries. It's been dubbed the "Ammyy Scam" by many due to a website that the scammers try to direct the victims to. The scam has been extremely successful and has duped many users into falling for it.

Here's the basics of the scam:

1. The victim usually receives a phone call from someone claiming to work as a security person for a large company such as Microsoft or Dell.

2. The caller claims that there is a new security vulnerability that they have detected that is very dangerous and affects "100% of the computers in the world" or something to that affect. They also state that they are alerting users as a courtesy and that they will offer to walk the victim through the installation of a tool that will prevent the problem from affecting their computer.

3. The scammer will then ask the victim to go to their computer and open up the event log viewer program and will ask them to read something back from it. No matter what the victim reads back to them, they will say that this information confirms that the new virus / vulnerability is present and that they must act immediately or the victim's data will be destroyed. They will also insist that no other virus scanner is able to detect the threat.

4. The caller will then direct the victim to a website which is often ammyy.com, but may have been changed to something else since the scam has gotten some media attention. They will ask the victim to install the Ammy.exe file (or something similar) and ask for a code that the software generates. This code will allow them to remotely access the victim's computer. The Ammyy tool itself may be a legitimate tool for providing remote access to a computer for support purposes, but in the hands of these guys it merely provides a backdoor into your system so they can take it over and install other malicious software and/or steal valuable personal data from your computer.

5. After they scammers have confirmed that they can connect to the victim's computer (and take control of it so they can install their malware) they will claim that the problem is fixed.

Some of the scammers may be even so bold as to sell victims a fake antivirus product (Scareware), that will further infect their computers. Yes, that's right, they ask the unsuspecting victim who just allowed them to infect their computer to shell out cash to further infect their computer. These people have no shame. Some victims opt to purchase the fake antivirus software out of fear, and now the scammers have their credit card information as well as access to their computers.

So what do you do if you have already fallen for this scam?

1. Immediately isolate your computer and disinfect it with anti-malware software installed from a trusted source.

Pull the Ethernet cable out of the computer's network port and shutdown the wireless connection. This will prevent further damage to your computer and ensure that the scammer can't reconnect to the PC. Additionally you should follow the steps in my I've Been Hacked, Now What? article.

2. Contact your credit card companies and report it.

Letting your credit card companies know what happened will allow them to issue a fraud alert for your account so they can be aware that fraudulent charges may be pending on your account(s)

Remember that the Ammyy tool itself is just a gateway for the bad guys to get into your system. They could have victims install any number of other legitimate remote administration tools that would still allow them to accomplish their goal.

The key to avoiding scams like these is to remember some basic scam fighting guidelines:

1. Microsoft and other major companies are likely not going to call you to help you fix a problem in this manner.

2. Caller IDs can be easily spoofed with Voice Over IP software. Many scammers use phony caller ID information to help build their credibility. Google their phone number and look for other reports of scam reports coming from the same number.

3. If you want to fight back, the best way is to report the scam to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Andy O'Donnell
Internet / Network Security Guide

What Computer Should I Buy?

A Questionnaire to Help Determine the Right Computer

This is the most common question that people have when they visit our website "What Computer Should I Buy?". In order to better answer this question, this questionnaire has been put together. Through questions about budget, computer applications and usage, it will try to determine the best computer to match your needs.

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What to Expect

The questionnaire will range between 10 and 13 questions in length. Each question is presented as a single web page with either single or multiple answers. Single answer questions will automatically load the next question. Multiple choice questions will require the selection of all relevant answers followed by the "Next" button to move to the next question. Some questions may also contain some additional text between the question and answers to clarify what is being asked.

Once all of the questions are answered, a results page entitled "Your Chosen System" will be displayed. On this page will be two sections. The first section will name the category of computer that best suits your usage and budget. Following this will be a link to a selection of the best computers that match this category of computer. For most people, this is all they will need.

The second section will present a set of recommended specifications presented in a table. This will break down the specifications by category and recommended items to look for. Some of the entries in the table will have links to more detailed information or selections about the given specification.

All links presented on the results page are designed to open the relevant page in a new window so it is not necessary to constantly move back and forth between your results and additional information.

Disclaimer

While a lot of effort was put into this questionnaire, there will be some instances where the results may not be what you expect. In most cases, this will be due to the differences in the budget and the intended use of the computer. Many of the most advanced computing tasks such as gaming or desktop video will require more expensive equipment not found in the budget systems or even some of the more mainstream computers. Thus, a computer listed in the best selection for the category may not have all the features listed in the recommended specifications.

Requirements

In order to go through this questionnaire, you will need to be running a browser that has JavaScript turned on. If this function is turned off, the first question will be displayed, but you will be unable to answer the question or continue on to the other questions.

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Windows 8 is coming!

If you want to buy a new PC, just wait until the end of the year - Windows 8 is coming!

Windows 8 tablets and PCs to arrive for holiday season; Microsoft will ditch the Aero glass look in favor of Metro interface and a minimalist design.

By Paul McDougall   InformationWeek
May 22, 2012 09:00 AM

A Microsoft official has confirmed that numerous hardware makers will bring Windows 8 PCs and tablets to market by year's end, meaning they should be on store shelves in time to go head to head with Apple iPads and Google Android-powered slates during the 2012 holiday season.

"Windows 8 imagines the convergence of two kinds of devices: a laptop and a tablet," said Jensen Harris, director of program management for Microsoft's user experience team, in a blog post. "Great hardware like this doesn't quite exist yet, but it will be commonly available later this year."

Speculation has been building for weeks, if not months, that Windows 8 systems would be available this year. And some PC builders, including Hewlett-Packard, have publicly talked about plans for Windows 8 machines in the fourth quarter. But Harris' remarks may be the first time a Microsoft exec has actually confirmed a 2012 launch window in an officially sanctioned communication. (A Microsoft representative would not confirm this, but was unable to point to any previous instances.) Big questions still remain, however, about the styles, brand names, and prices that the first Windows 8 systems will carry.

One thing is for certain--they will be far different from anything anyone has previously seen from Microsoft. In his lengthy blog post, Harris noted that Windows 8 is designed from the ground up for a computing world that would be unrecognizable to early PC users schooled on Windows 3.0 and earlier versions.

[ Get expert guidance on Microsoft Windows 8. InformationWeek's Windows 8 Super Guide rounds up the key news, analysis, and reviews that you need. ]

By the time Microsoft started to design Windows 8 in 2009, "people increasingly were doing different kinds of things with the time they spent on their PCs. And they had started to expect PCs to behave more like their phones: connected, mobile, long battery life, centered on people and activities, and keeping up with what's going on," said Harris.

That implied a number of changes for Windows 8. The most obvious is that all Windows 8 systems, whether desktops, laptops, or tablets, will by default feature a Start screen borrowed from the Windows Phone 7 interface. The Start screen features Live Tiles that correspond to and display real-time information from, apps. "Your Start screen will become a personalized dashboard of everything you care about," said Harris. "Tiles are the future and fit the way people look for fresh content in apps and websites ... Icons are yesterday's way of representing apps."

Windows 8 systems that run Intel or AMD processors, as opposed to ARM-based Windows 8 RT tablets, will give users the option to work in the classic Windows desktop environment, but it too has undergone some significant tweaks. The Aero glass interface, which debuted with Windows Vista and featured a 3-D look and feel, is gone. "This style of simulating faux-realistic materials (such as glass or aluminum) on the screen looks dated and cheesy now," said Harris.

Instead, the Windows desktop will get a minimalist treatment. Application and file windows will show less chrome, and will display white borders by default. Numerous other changes are also on tap.