Posted on September 11, 2017 at 1:19 PM

Rogue.Tech-Support New Version demands US$50 in Bitcoin

A new version of the 2016 malware Rogue.Tech-Support has emerged, where infected users are asked to pay US$50 in Bitcoin to unlock their Windows.

The infamous malware with a system message ‘Your Windows is Banned’ is back. Those who fall victim to this new malware are asked to pay US$50 in Bitcoin so that the ‘tech support personnel’ can unblock their Windows.

This malware is a new version of the Rogue.Tech-Support malware that emerged in late 2016. Victim computers would receive an error message on the lock screen on Startup, and the message would say that their installation of Windows has been banned. The users then see a US phone number which the message says they can call on to resolve the issue. The original malware requested users to pay US$99 to get their Windows unblocked by a trusted support person.

While many would think that no one would fall for such a gimmick, a surprising number of users paid the amount. It is plain to see that a trusted company would never require you to pay such an amount to a support personnel. Besides, those with valid Microsoft keys can always dispute the company’s decision to temporarily block someone’s key on grounds of suspicious activity.

What’s more, one could call the number given in the message, contrary to what most people would believe. However, no one got tech support. Instead, they received offers for a number of useless services.

The new version of this malware now asks the user to pay US$50 in Bitcoin. There is no mention of a phone number to call on since the creators of the malware themselves would know that no one would believe a trusted company would demand payment in Bitcoin. Besides, not a lot of people would call the number, so it didn’t have much value for the malicious users. Again, the message is shown on the lock screen, and users are requested to pay US$50 in Bitcoin so that they can use their Windows system again.

This is a type of scam tech support malware that is growing increasingly popular these days. Over the past couple of years or so, the number of such malware on the internet has grown rapidly. The thing about these is that the damage is done before you get the error message on your lock screen. Since you get the message, it means that the malware is already installed on your system. The best thing to do is do a malware check and full system scan.

Of course, these malware almost always make their way into your system through the internet. Clicking on suspicious links in emails is the primary entry point of malware in your system. A lot of articles on the web warn users about refraining from doing so, yet these malware continue to flood the internet because people just don’t learn.

If you aren’t too familiar with using the internet and don’t know about the different kinds of threats you face while browsing the web, you should read a few informative articles. Staying up to date on the latest kinds of malware circulating on the internet is the best way to protect yourself. If you know how these malware infects your system, and know what happens once they lay siege in your system, you can be vigilant for protection and quick action in case of infection.

All in all, any message which seems to come from a legitimate and trusted company and demands you to pay them money is surely a fraudulent message. These companies will never require you to pay money to an individual to resolve your issue.

If you are unsure, it’s best to contact the customer support of the organization that apparently sent you the message. But in all probability, the message is fake, and your system is almost certainly infected with malware. So, it’s up to you to heed caution and not fall prey to such ridiculous attempts to steal money.