Welcome to my Malicious Software Nightmare…caution…you could be next!

I thought Halloween was over.  For that matter, Thanksgiving is over now…and I’ve just now began getting back onto this blog.  Oh boy!  I want to preface this post with a cautionary statement.

CAUTION:  I might use the word bastard(s) often in this post followed by the more severe term “those f***ing bastards!”.  I beg you to close your eyes or ears to my insanity for a minute.  There may well be some sexually explicit material too…so just be for warned.  I occasionally write about scams, this time…it is about viscous computer malware.

Yesterday (well, actually it was mid November) I logged on to my computer in the morning to get the calorie counts on a few items.  (huh?  calorie counts?  I thought this was a sewing blog?) Yes…I’ll post later that I’m trying to lose a few pounds, but neither here nor there somehow the malicious trojan software called AntiVirus Pro wormed its way onto my computer and took over!

Seriously.  My computer was hijacked.  I’m completely ticked off.

Those f***ing BASTARDS were pissing me off to no end!  AAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

My cries were going unanswered.  Like a silent wale in the night, on an empty street, in the middle of a populated city.  Nobody.  I’m alone and all I can do is stand back helplessly and watch as disgusting images flood my computer.

(Geez…do women really know they are this pathetic? were my thoughts as I viewed images of naked women sprawled out, breasts pointed up, legs spread in anticipation, and hapless facial expressions awaiting their next chance to twinge in relief.  Sick.)

And they just keep coming (no pun intended).  These Pop-ups of porn.com and adult.com and viagra.com kept  — well –coming up.

God…this happens to kids!  I can’t believe the filth out there!  I unplugged the internet connection and just sat here staring at my screen as the bastards flaunted their new found fame on my screen.  Pathetic.  I couldn’t handle it.  I cursed.  I cussed.  I fumed.

I just couldn’t deal with it for too much longer because I had to go to work but when I came home I planned out my attack.

I’ll show them.  I’ll just run Norton Anti-virus.  That’ll get rid of it.

Now I am just ranting…

SORRY!  YOU LOSE!  Like EVIL commies these monsters had thought of that already and disabled it.  Now how the heck could they do that!!!!? I thought Norton was the be all end all to keeping me safe.  No so today.  I’m beginning to get really worn down.

It took a while and some conversations with co-workers but I finally found what I needed.  The solution was the software called malwarebytes.  You can link to them here in the event you ever need them.  I downloaded the software and ran the search.  It took running the software 7 times to get rid of every last stinking piece of garbage before my computer came back.

Thank God for these folks at malwarebytes.

And Peter Norton.  We need to talk.

‘Red’ Mercury in your Singer 201?…Just A Scary Report

Over the wires today was a report about people in Middle Eastern countries selling their old singer sewing machines for upwards of $50,000.00 dollars.  Now as much as I’d love it for some rich Sheik to give me 50G’s for Ms. Sophie’s 201 I feel compelled to tell you all this is just another stunning display of peoples ignorance.

First of all there is no such thing as ‘Red’ Mercury.  Mercury is a hazardous liquid silver colored metal that is a class 8 corrosive and pretty much anything that comes in contact with mercury is considered ‘contaminated’ and deemed hazardous by the US EPA.  The ‘Red’ is a reference to a code name for possibly some other type of substance that is supposed to be highly valuable.  Who knows what the heck they are looking for but I can assure you mercury is not nor never has been red.

Mercury does come from an ore called Cinnabar when it is mined from the earth but all mercury in circulation today in the US is from mercury that already exists and is recycled.  This is first hand knowledge and I’m going to leave it at that else the ‘Mercury Police’ may come knocking.  As you can see the ore is red and in this form is used as a pigment in red paint.

In college I remember having a tube of oil paint once called vermilion red and no doubt this was the stuff in it.

I don’t see anything RED on the 201.  Of note though and something I thought about is maybe these crazies are after the gold paint on the machine.

Who knows.  They might have a belief that ‘red’ mercury has amalgamated into the gold paint, sort of like becoming a modern day Islamic version of the  Davinci Code.  Or better yet is somehow linked to the Red Violin and the blood from the master violin maker Stradivarius resides among the gears.  Yes.  My imagination does run wild.

At any rate, here is the news report as reported by the BBC news, just don’t fall for it people!:

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Sewing machine hoax hits S Arabia

Saudi police say they are investigating a hoax that has seen people rushing to buy old-fashioned sewing machines for up to $50,000 (£33,500).

The Singer sewing machines are said to contain traces of red mercury, a substance that may not exist.

But it is widely thought that it can be used to find treasure, ward off evil spirits or even make nuclear bombs.

It is believed that tiny amounts can sell for millions of dollars, the Saudi Gazette reported.

The paper said that trade in the sewing machines was brisk across the country.

Rumours about the sewing machines have been spreading for days by word of mouth and over the internet, it said.

These included rumours that foreign experts and companies had been buying up Singers.

In Dhulum, it was reported that people had broken into two tailors’ shops to steal the machines.

In the city of Madina, people were holding mobile phones up to the machines, due to the belief that they could be used to detect the presence of red mercury.

An interior ministry spokesman said authorities were trying to discover who had spread the rumours.

“We have to find out who started this hoax,” he told Reuters news agency.

“People hope to make profit,” he added. “This is no different to cases of citizens who put their money in untrustworthy schemes.”

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7999168.stm

Published: 2009/04/14 21:37:02 GMT

© BBC MMIX

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For my readers that also have 201’s and old sewing machines please just be aware of anyone that might be asking to give you an outrageous amount of money for your machine.  You certainly wouldn’t want to fall victim to a scam. Your machine at most is only worth about $50 at auction without a cabinet.

BBC.adverts.write(“printableversionsponsorship”);

BBC.adverts.show(“printableversionsponsorship”);

Scam Alert! The classic bait and switch…now with textiles as the bait.

Below is an email I received this morning. My email package had placed this in my spam bin but since I had nearly 200 over the weekend I decided to do some cleaning and browse the messages looking for the legitimate ones.

I was curious about the below post since the subject line was textiles. So I opened it and sure enough I immediately thought “I can’t believe these people are at it again!”.

If you ever get any type of email, regular mail, phone call or inquire about a job listing (craigslist, hot jobs) do not get suckered into this particular scam.

The offender (or employer as they make themselves out to be) is wanting you to be their ‘representative’. It sounds too easy. All you do is wait for the checks, cash them in your account, take your cut and forward the company’s due share back. But what they don’t tell you is THE CHECKS ARE FAKE! They look real. My guess, the below named company probably does exist and they have no idea their identity has been stolen (I’ll check on that and most likely report back here). Or…these offenders will send a somewhat real looking ‘cashiers check’, ‘money order’, or ‘bank draft’ and want you to cash this for them.

Put your thinking cap on here. What company do you know of that would have someone else cash their checks??????? CLUE: NONE! This is obvious the first indication this is a scam. How the scam works is after you deposit the money, in about 10-15 days your bank will report back to you that the check, money order, bank draft, what have you was a fake and if you were so unlucky to have already sent back to the perpetrator your own cash, you not only are out the money you sent, but now you owe the bank a ‘bad check’ fee AND you have just committed a crime!

So I repeat…DO NOT GET TAKEN IN BY THESE SCAMS!

How do I know these are scams? Well not having personally been a victim my company was used once as the bait and job postings were posted both on craigslist and hotjobs. I started getting phone calls from people all over the country asking about the job. After a little research and many emails and letters to craigslist and hotjobs I was able to have the listings removed.

Subject:	Part-Time Job Opportunity
From:	“KINGSTON FABRICS TEXTILE LTD”
Date:	Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:57:51 +0100 (CET)

Would you like to work online from Home/Temporarily and get paid
 weekly? We are glad to offer you for a job position in our organization
 KINGSTON FABRICS TEXTILE LTD. based in BELGIUM. We need someone to work for
 the company as Representative/Book keeper in the USA ,Uk and Canada

This is in view of our not having an office presently in the USA ,UK or
 Canada . You don't need to have an office and this certainly won't
 disturb any form of work you have going at the moment.

 Your tasks are:
 1. Receive payment from Customers and co-ordinate payments.
 2. Receiving and re-mailing of official letters.
 3. Cashing or process payment at your Bank.
 4. Deduct 10% which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed
 5. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the
 offices you will be contacted to send funds to through Money transfers.

This takes barely hours, so it will give us a possibility to get
 customer's payment almost immediately.For example you got $3000.00, you take
 your income/benefit: $300.00 Send to us: $2700.00, First month you will
 have 15-20 transactions on $3000.00-£6000.00 so you may calculate
 your income.For example 18 transactions on $3500.00 gives you $4410.00Plus
 your basis monthly salary is $1000.00 Total: $5410.00 per month.Our
 payments will be issued out in your name and you can have them cashed in
 your bank or other Cashing Services, deduct your benefit and forward
 the balance to the company.

 We are looking only for the worker who satisfies our requirements and
 will be a honest assistant and we understand it is an unusual and
 incredible job offer. The job offer is legitimate and legally called
 Business Receiving Agent/Management of Account Receivables.

 We are glad to offer this job position to you. If you feel that you
 are a serious and earnest worker and you want to work for KINGSTON
 FABRICS TEXTILE LTD, kindly email us the following information about you:

 Your full name :
 Sex and Age :
 Home Address :
 Telephone number(s) :

Your Urgent reply is needed so that we can give you a Contact Agreement
 and decide on giving you the job.
 We await your response back to this email :
xxx@xxxxxxxxx

 Regards.