Browser Ransomware Passes As Microsoft Support, Plays Audio to Scare Users

[Ben10]

Content source

http://news.softpedia.com/news/browser-ransomware-passes-as-microsoft-support-plays-audio-to-scare-users-496708.shtml

A new browser locker uses official Microsoft Support branding in an attempt to make people call a phone number to unlock their browser while also playing a spoken audio message in the page's background to scare non-technical users.

Browser ransomware, more accurately referred to as browser locker, works by locking the current browser session with an uncloseable popup.

While savvy users can easily get rid of such pesky scareware, non-technical ones are either tricked into calling a support number to unlock their browser window or have to move their operations to a new browser.

The technique of using Microsoft as a front company to fool users into paying fake support fees is an old one. Just this October, Microsoft said it received over 175,000 user complaints about fake tech support scams.

Source : Browser Ransomware Passes As Microsoft Support, Plays Audio to Scare Users

 

[LabZero]

It seems that the code of this malware is a simple JavaScript that uses notifications and alerts in your browser to implement a seemingly endless cycle of warning.
As explained in the article simply close the browser by ending the process via Task Manager but it worries me the social engineering technique that's behind this simple ransomware and can create problems for inexperienced users.

 

[nsm0220]

It seems that the code of this malware is a simple JavaScript that uses notifications and alerts in your browser to implement a seemingly endless cycle of warning.
As explained in the article simply close the browser by ending the process via Task Manager but it worries me the social engineering technique that's behind this simple ransomware and can create problems for inexperienced users.

Least im good at removing this ransomware,just like am good at removing rootkits and other nasty malware.

 

[jamescv7]

Those simple javascript may turn to be more scarier if its include to disable hotkeys to access on task manager which I've remembered way back before on sites that contains malicious scripts.

Well for inexperience users? Let take it as assumption to turn off the PC instead as its solution due to their panic at least they are not fall on the trap.