Forensic computing is a real thing.

Wow, the hits just keep coming.

I take extreme delight in working with the feds and or Scotland Yard, tracing this kind of crap down to put the perpetrator in
prison where they belong. Were you aware that the UK is so crime-free they don’t need an equivalent to the FBI? I digress.

After 40 years of fighting viruses, the evil that men do has become rather
personal.

These time-wasting life-sucking jerks have cost me many hours of my life
unraveling the gordian knots they weave, and it sickens me.

For me, this started with the Michael Angelo Virus before there was
such a thing as Anti-Virus software. Can you imagine fighting a virus without
the tools we have today? This was an extensive company network with hundreds of PCs
in a token ring environment. I doubt we would have been successful if we had
not had a Network General Sniffer (a packet analyzer).

The reason it sickens me is simple. Many people fall for this crap, and it
costs them. There are scam artists everywhere. Retired people are one of the
targets they love the most. They freak out, click, call, or what have you.

Once the hook is set, the odds are much better the criminal will get
something for their efforts. Much like a worm on a hook, it only takes getting the bait in front of the fish.

One of the questions I am asked constantly is this. What is the best
anti-virus software out there?

There was a day I could have answered that. It depends on which company is
the most proactive at looking for the latest virus or threats. If they rest on
their laurels, they can go from number one to (never again.)

Many of these schemes can be easily thwarted if the victim employs some
critical thinking skills.

Here is the latest:

 

Look at this statement. Let’s use some critical thinking skills here.

Firstly right off the bat, you know you didn’t buy anything for $500. But wait, they didn’t charge tax. huh? If this was a legitimate invoice, it would most probably be a different number, not $499.99. It would be $541.24 for my tax rate.

The key is my tax rate. Tax rates are different per location. That would require the perpetrator to know where you were and then calculate the tax.

That is a huge red flag that just about any person should catch.

What else? Where is the hook?

 

Athur … What kind of name is that? King, I understand. Should it be Arthur
perhaps?

The Hook is the 888 number a person will call if they are …’What the
hell, this is mistake, I need to call them and…!”

No, it is a fishing scheme, much like the king in Nairobi who has tens of
thousands of dollars he wants to give you, if you will give him a bank account
number to send it to.

There are robbers who will steal your physical stuff. There are low life who will send out viruses and or
phishing scams, and then there are the professionals who rob you blind. They
are called politicians.

Think I am wrong?? Tell me good sir or madam, why would a politician spend
$19 million dollars of their own money for a job that pays 150K a year? If you
said they were altruistic, I have some ocean-front property…No wait, I have some
soon to be desert that used to be the Mississippi River.  Since it will be a desert it could easily
be a transcontinental rail for a bullet train or, a toll road sponsored by the
Saudis or perhaps China, to move freight the old fashion with truckers.

Nope, forget that, we won’t have diesel for them, as someone turned off the
American oil spigot and wants you to vote for them again.

Did you know that even though trains are electric they have huge generators
that power the gigantic motors. Care to guess what the generators use for
energy.

Critical thinking is a lost art. It might have died with my generation.

Hope your day is great! The food or lack of food on your
table might depend upon how you vote.

Hint, don’t California My Texas.

Chow!