Yes, It's True. You May Lose Internet on July 9th
July 5, 2012- Rumors that more than a half million people could lose Internet access on July 9th are true. Protect yourself by running a quick diganostic test and, if your computer is affected, taking steps to fix it.
How the Scam Works:
Last November, the FBI took down the servers of international hackers operating out of Estonia. The hackers had already successfully downloaded malware onto more than half a million computers, turning off virus updates and redirecting consumers to fraudulent websites. If the servers had simply been shut down, the victims' computers would no longer be able to access the internet. Instead, the FBI set up clean servers to replace the ones that were running the scam, and victims have been redirected to those clean servers ever since, usually without any knowledge they'd been infected in the first place.
The FBI will shut down its servers on July 9th, and anyone infected with the malware will lose Internet access. The FBI believes about 360,000 computers still are infected.
What to Do:
- Check to see if your computer is infected with the virus by visiting the FBI's DNS Charger Working Group website.
- If your computer is infected, this page provides instructions for removing the virus.
More Information:
Start with Trust. For more information on how to avoid scams and trustworthy consumer tips and information, visit www.bbb.org.
