So what can be done?

[triplenine]

I was/am fighting a smitfraud infection and getting a bit philosophical about it. It is karma biting me to a degree, but who are the vile wretches that put these things together? I don't really get it. If you were to buy the advertised software will it actually remove the problem? I somehow doubt it. It just doesn't seem like it is doing anything except causing trouble, but I assume that someone has to be making money off of it.

I am trying to put myself back in the old hacker mindset. Even when I was doing things to be nefarious or that may have been less than ethical, I couldn't see putting together something that is this lame. I hate to say it but, I do respect the depth and tenacity of this infection. But it should just do something more interesting.

If anyone has any insight as to how this smitfraud thing makes money or how people use it in other ways, let's discuss it so I can become educated as to who is benefitting from the many hours of tribulations that I just went through.
-999

[tashi]

Hello.

It is about scaring users into purchasing their fake products:
Warning: Infection via bad CODEC installs. VirusBurst etc...

You can make your voice heard: Malware Complaints

Worth bookmarking:
Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites

Cheers.

[md usa spybot fan]

triplenine:
et al.:

I would also like to encourage you to read the following article:

• So how did I get infected in the first place?
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=279

For others reading this thread:

triplenine posted in the Malware Removal forum before starting this thread in the Tavern forum. Their thread in the Malware Removal forum is here:

• I have the problem too...
  http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=14062

[Ramoeru]

I was/am fighting a smitfraud infection and getting a bit philosophical about it. It is karma biting me to a degree, but who are the vile wretches that put these things together? I don't really get it. If you were to buy the advertised software will it actually remove the problem? I somehow doubt it. It just doesn't seem like it is doing anything except causing trouble, but I assume that someone has to be making money off of it.

I was thinking the exact same thing...problem is, some of the advertisements they make look like genuine windows programs like the security centre on your machine, sayingh that antivirus is turned off...This may trick people into buying something. You know, I guess they may be doing it for fun, trying to see how many people they can infect...of course, if you think about it, would they really have the time? Kinda makes you think, doesn't it?

[tashi]

Hi there.

The days of script kiddies doing it for fun and being a pitta are over, these kind of malware writers nowadays are well organized and strictly in it for money.

[Ramoeru]

But is it really worth it? If they get caught, then they're done, they'll lose all their money, and probably more in lawsuits. Also, wouldn't it be sort of suspicious that you randomly get pop ups offering you help the second you get the malware? And wouldn't it be easier just to make a keylogger and get your paypal account or something, rather than annoying someone to death with constatnt popups?