Posted by Kimberly_IN on 3/13/06 6:38pm
Msg #104544

Smitfraud virus

Hello. I'm not familiar with viruses and how to get rid of them. I came home today and found our computer was infected with the "smitfraud" virus. Does anybody know anything about this and how to get rid of it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Reply by Korey Humphreys on 3/13/06 6:41pm
Msg #104547

Do you have a virus scanner? If not.. get one n/m

Reply by Stamper_WI on 3/13/06 6:45pm
Msg #104550

I got the following warning via my realtor network today. It doesn't say what the name of the virus is but this sounds nasty. Hacking is such a weird way of feeling empowered.


"Please Be Extremely Careful especially if using internet mail such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and so on. This information arrived this morning direct from both Microsoft and Norton.

Please send it to everybody you know who has access to the Internet.

You may receive an apparently harmless email with a Power Point presentation "Life is beautiful."

If you receive it DO NOT OPEN THE FILE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, and delete it immediately. If you open this file, a message will appear on your screen saying: "It is too late now, your life is no longer beautiful." Subsequently you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC and the person who sent it to you will gain access to your name, e-mail and password.

This is a new virus which started to circulate on Saturday afternoon. AOL has already confirmed the severity, and the antivirus software's are not capable of destroying it. The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself "life owner."

Reply by Kimberly_IN on 3/13/06 7:02pm
Msg #104562

I have Panda virus software.

Reply by Delta_CA on 3/13/06 7:29pm
Msg #104573

I believe Smitfraud is a high risk form of spyware. I got this definition from Countr Spy: Trojan-Spy.HTML.Smitfraud.a
Other versions: .c

Aliases
Trojan-Spy.HTML.Smitfraud.a (Kaspersky Lab) is also known as: Phish-BankFraud.eml (McAfee), Trojan.Bankfraud (Doctor Web), HTML.Phishing.Bank-1 (ClamAV), HTML/Smithfraud.gen (Eset)
Detection added Dec 20 2004
Description added Jun 20 2005
Behavior TrojanSpy
Technical details

This Trojan program utilizes spoofing technology. The Trojan is represented by a fake HTML page. It is used for stealing confidential information.

Reply by RickinVA on 3/14/06 8:10am
Msg #104658

Re: Stamper Smitfraud virus

You might want to look at this. Great site to check out email warnings. (Most everything that sites Norton, MS and AOL is a hoax)
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/life.asp

Rick

Reply by SanDiegoCA on 3/13/06 7:53pm
Msg #104578

>I'm not familiar with viruses and how to get rid of them.

And that, dear friend, if why you're infected now.

NOBODY can run a computer on the internet without protection today. NOBODY!

Reply by Kimberly Crowe on 3/13/06 8:03pm
Msg #104580

I have protection, keep your nastyness to yourself.

Reply by SanDiegoCA on 3/14/06 9:40am
Msg #104698

Many time all we have in a forum like this is what the person we respond to has posted in the way of information. You posted :

"Hello. I'm not familiar with viruses and how to get rid of them. "

Pardon me if I assumed you told the truth in your first post!

As for nastyness, Kimberly, what I gave you was GOOD advice. A connection to the internet, even a DIALUP connection, without a virus scanner, is digital suicide in today's time.

And in your case would have done no good at all ........ it's not a virus.

Now you're stuck with either having somebody work on your computer or learning how to do it all yourself. I would think, with as many warnings as there are everywhere around us in the world now you would have heard about things like spyware and virus protection.

Since you now admit to using Panda, have you looked there for an answer? You may have much to absorb in the way of learning about how to protect yourself. Good luck with that.

Reply by Kimberly_IN on 3/14/06 10:12am
Msg #104707

Just to clarify...the Panda program that I have is supposed to have the firewall, antivirus, antispyware, automatic updates...I scan my computer once a week. But you say it isn't a "virus"...that's where my knowledge falls short. Do you know what my next step should be? I just came here for some advice, not to get made out as a fool for not doing this or not doing that, I'm trying to learn. You mentioned learning to do it myself, how would I do that?

Reply by Gerry_VT on 3/14/06 11:38am
Msg #104783

When I have a security question, the first thing I do is see if the maker of my security software has any help to offer (I use ZoneAlarm). Then I do a Google search. A Google search on Smithfraud indicates it is a Trojan Horse, not a virus. This means that the program is in its own files, instead of changing files that you already have on your computer.

Since I always use security software and delete e-mail from strangers that I'm not expecting, I hardly ever have to remove any malware; I can only think of one or two minor items I had to delete. This means I don't have much practice disinfecting computers. I did find a set of directions at http://elamb.blogharbor.com/hacked/removesmithfraud.htm that seems plausible; that is, it is the kind of things one would do to get rid of a Trojan Horse. I can't say whether the directions are correct or not.

I suggest you look check Panda for a solution. If that does not work, look at the directions at the site I gave, and see if it is the kind of work you can handle. If not, get help. If you can do it, find some other sites with directions, and see if the directions agree.

Reply by Kimberly_IN on 3/14/06 1:56pm
Msg #104844

Thank you so much Gerry for that information. I greatly appreciate it. Have a good day!