My Alderman sent out this information:

US-CERT Advises of Computer Ransomware

August 26, 2013

On July 30, 2013, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, a division of Homeland Security, released a warning regarding a malware computer infection scam. This scam attempts to prove its validity by claiming it is connected to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The scam begins when the user receives an email message that the user’s computer has been suspended for a violation of DHS rules. The email says that the only means to unlock the computer is to pay a fine to the DHS. One version of this malware takes a photo of the user by webcam and posts it in a pop-up in an effort to further validate the scam.

The victim may be asked to pay by credit card or a direct debit from a bank account. The scammers may also request a wire transfer of funds or the use of a prepaid debit card from Wal-Mart or Walgreens. If the victim pays through a bank account, the thieves will use the account numbers provided to further rob the victim or steal the victim’s identity.

If your computer is infected with this malware, consult a reputable security expert to remove the malware, or perform a clean reinstallation of your operating system after formatting your computer’s hard drive.

In order to avoid becoming the victim of this type of scam, remember the following:

Do not click on or submit information to web pages unless you trust the source. Please note that even trusted sources can be infected. Always use caution when visiting web pages.

Do not click on links in email messages unless you trust the sender. Please note that even trusted senders can be infected. Always use caution when following links.

Use caution when opening email attachments. Recipients of this type of malware are encouraged not to pay the sender, but to instead report the crime to the FBI at www.IC3.gov , a joint investigative division of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Commission. To learn more about using caution when opening email attachments, visit the following website:

http://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/st04-010

Users who have been infected should change all passwords after removing the malware from their system.

There's also a phony FBI ransomware that does that.

switch to mac

I had malware on my laptop :) I've used some softwares but it doesn't work and still the malware is on my system... My pc usage is always at high and keep slowing down the system... eventually I've decided to reformat and reinstall new OS an now its gone hahaha...

I used to suspend the process of "PING.EXE" on my CPU usage. It was efffective as the forum from google says. its good for sometime but there's a time that my screen turn off and restart to a color blue booth screen.... after formating the blue screen doesn't show up anymore! oyeah! hello mingle I had one friend now :) its been a week staying here alone.

don't bank on that!
There is more and more Malware that's affecting the Apple-Systems!
These days you even need Malware protection for the MAC!

Malwarebytes free protection. It's free but you have to do updates yourself. It has worked great for me 2yrs now.

www.malwarebytes.org