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Computer Virus Targets Gullible Lovebirds

Clicking on heart images in email could turn your machine into spambot

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 30, 2009 4:55 PM CST

(Newser) – A Valentine-themed spam campaign is underway, with a side dish of coercion and extortion, Computer Weekly reports. Users receive an email, ostensibly from a secret admirer, with a link to a website that downloads a bot called Waledec. Not only does Waledec co-opt the user’s address list and start sending out the same emails—it also installs a “rogue anti-virus program” that issues false alerts.

As the false alerts pile up, the program, MS AntiSpyware 2009, refuses to correct the so-called problems until the user purchases the registered version, Marshal TRACE adds. The bogus app even warns that the computer is being used to send spam, perhaps to encourage the user to pay up. The Waledec program responsible is notoriously difficult to defend against, even for legitimate anti-virus software.

A woman passes a large Valentine's heart.
A woman passes a large Valentine's heart.   (AP Photo)
Clicking on an image of hearts in that email in your inbox could download a virus that makes your machine a spam monster.
Clicking on an image of hearts in that email in your inbox could download a virus that makes your machine a spam monster.   (AP Photo)
A visual representation of an email worm file.
A visual representation of an email worm file.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
Doctor-Zaius
Jan 31, 2009 1:23 AM CST
They should track these people down and drown them in pig shit.

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