Microsoft in re: MS XP Internet Security 2012 SCAM - FORCED TO PURCHASE SECURITY DOWNLOAD WHEN PROGRAM IS FREE!!!!! Seattle, Washington

The solution to your problem was simple. The same thing has happened to me on numerous occasions. It has absolutely nothing to do with Microsoft. This is malware that has hijacked the Microsoft logo.

Your mouse and cursor are not frozen. The malware will not freeze the mouse because you need it to pay them. Go to START and TURN OFF computer. The computer will shut down and on restart the problem will be gone. 

If I were you I would cancel the card you used to pay them with. Better still, report it as lost or stolen.

this virus is dropped thru a java script, it is a fake virus removal tool that only wants you to pay money for nothing and then use your credit card numbers to make purchases.

it is located in your profile and although most antivirus software says it removed it, it didnt.


sorry to say you got ripped off by a common virus.

report your card stolen NOW. take your computer to get repaired, turn off your java scripting or use "no script"

  The reason that your computer was locked up is the same reason that you thought Microsoft was behind it.   You believe everything that pops up on your screen.   The hackers that wrote this virus were hoping for people like you who do not question anything that pops up on their screen.  The trick to avoiding a lockup is to not click on anything once the bogus messages start.   Shut down your system and restart.  The bogus messages will be gone.    

   On the other hand, if you started clicking on any of the bogus messages, what you really did was install this virus onto your computer.    Depending on the variant, it may be easy or extremely difficult to remove.   The virus is not removed by paying, that only shuts off the outward signs.   Think about it.  If hackers successfully took over your machine, why would they delete their virus from your system just because you paid.   Wouldn't it be more likely that they would leave the virus lurking in the background so that your system would always be under their control?  Of course they would.

   That virus is still present on your system, even though the bogus messages have stopped.   If I were you, I would not keep any financial information or access sites requiring userid and password until you system has been cleaned.   FWIW, the last time I dealt with a computer that had a version of this virus, I had to reformat the drive and reload the operating system.  That variant contained a rootkit which would have been more trouble to remove than the reformat/reload.

  Dispute the transaction with your credit card company and you'll get your money back.

Definitely cancel your card before you end up with stolen identity. This disgusting virus hit us twice. I believe I finally cleaned it out using Malwarebytes free version. My regular anti virus program was useless. Maybe by now it's updated to catch it.

Thanks for your input.  However, I DID completely shut down, turn off, and completely unplug my computer ... when I re-connected, THE VERY SAME THINGS happened all over again ... the rotating balloon-alerts, the inability to access anything on my hard drive, etc.:  there was absolutely NO option but to pay the ransom to unlock the system.,

Report and Dispute the charge right away. Chances are it didn't even post, because their real objective is to steal the card data and later charge it up. If it did post, your card company has to acknowledge it was a fraud charge. don't take no for an answer from your card provider.

Update to this complaint:

The credit/debit card used in the enforced "purchase" of "XP Internet Security 2010"  has been destroyed by my bank, all account access data has been deleted and changed, and the bank has verified that the charge had, in fact, been made and the funds withdrawn from my account.  Upon running the vendor ID through its fraud list, Chase determined the transaction to be fraudulent, filed a disputed claim, and is reversing the charge from my account.  I have heard nothing from MS concerning its affiliation (or not) with any member of the fraudulent vendor; this may never occur, depending upon the numbers of complaints received by MS' legal department.



Probably the most important step I took is that I filed a complaint with a government agency connected with the FBI and other law-enforcement authorities:  Internet Crime Complaint Center ("ic3.gov").

You are too stupid to own and operate a computer. Microsoft does not have anything to do with this. Have a 6 year old kid access this web page and read what it says to you:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/antivirus-rogue.aspx

Hi C. Johnson!

     There are quite a few infections (malware) floating around, which have varying names, such as, XP Security 2010, XP Security 2011, Internet Security 2011, Vista Security 2011, etc.  They are known as fake anti-malware alerts and "scareware."  They can be acquired from just about anywhere, including emails from people you know.  As another poster here has mentioned, the sole purpose the cretins who create this stuff have is to try and scare a computer user into believing their computer is infected.  Then, they invariably pretend to scan your system and tell you there a number of infections (which is not true), and offer to clean up your machine for a price.

NEVER, EVER give your personal financial information to such people!  Your computer will NOT be cleaned, but your credit card or bank account will certainly be cleaned...as in OUT! 

If you have not already done so, I would recommend you download the free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from their website here:  http://malwarebytes.org/.  To do this on your infected computer, you need to reboot in Safe Mode with Networking.  This is accomplished by repeatedly pressing the F8 key while the machine is booting up.  After the screen displays the choices to select from, use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode with Networking & press <ENTER>.

This should allow you to access the Internet and download the software program.  (If not, then try downloading it onto a USB flash drive on an uninfected computer and run the program from the flash drive).  Make sure you download the FREE version, not the paid version.  (The paid versin has real-time scanning and will possibly conflict with your major antivirus software).

AFTER updating the program's database (click on the UPDATE tab), run a FULL scan with the Malwarebytes program on ALL your drives.  Once the scan completes, an on-screen report will be displayed showing what infections were found.  You can save this log.  Any infections Malwarebytes (MBAM for short) finds will be quarantined in the Quarantined area (there is a tab which says this on the MBAM screen).

You can the delete the infected items from the Quarantine area.  If you have any residual problems, then you may need to run another full scan, and also perform a System Restore to a point PRIOR TO the day and time you first became infected.

I would also recommend you check out the MBAM forums at http://forums.malwarebytes.org/.  You can sign-up (free) and post questions you may have on just about any topic.  There are a number of various forums on the site in which to post questions, depending on what the subject is you need advice on, or look at the responses other have received to their inquiries.

Good luck!

I just used the repair option on my computer and the spyware was gone.

I see this all the time.

It amazes me how people can be so gullible, as well as complacent.



Are you running WinXP?If not, you would have known right away it was a scam just based on the program name. For example: "Win XP" and "2012" would never go in the same sentence. Common sense.



I am amazed by the number of people who will blindly get on the internet, give out their credit cards information and/or bank account information to complete strangers, etc.



It also amazes me that these same people will get on their computer, get on the internet, and have little or no antivirus protection or security program.



You NEED to have a GOOD security program on your computer that needs to be updated EVERY DAY, multiple times per day.



You need to do DAILY malware scans.



You need to restart your computer at least once every day.



You need to do your "windows updates" every day.



Don't click on ANYTHING that "pops up".



Don't be such a moron.