Recently, I picked up a malware that literally shut down and locked out my computer. The way I picked up this malware is by going to a site to pick out clipart. It went by the name of “NRAPRISM” or “GREENDOT” malware.

To anyone who has never experienced malware, one can become very intimidated and upset the first time one sees it. This particular malware is flamboyant and intimidating. It makes the computer user think that they have gone to an illegal site. It displays a FBI warning and a Government seal on your screen. It will give you your name in one corner and also an IP address. It literally will shut you down and freeze your computer so you are not able use it. The malware advises you to pay a $300 fine to the federal government before they release your computer. It gives you an area where you can provide a prepaid cash card number and pay the so called federal government agency and then hopefully they will release your computer. Note: not a credit card – a prepaid cash card which you can buy at certain retailers.

These victims should stop and think before purchasing the cash cards. No federal government agency I know of takes cash cards to unfreeze the computer of known felons. As far as I know the government would not tell you if you are being investigated and solicit fines over the internet.

I was lucky that I knew what to do when this malware hit my computer. I’ve seen this malware before on some of my friends’ computers. I could honestly say it has been improved upon in the last five years. Now it is more straightforward, in your face and makes you think that you did something wrong and didn’t know it. Now the malware is much sophisticated than its predecessor. About five to six years ago, this malware used to pop up and instead of freezing your computer it would blink constantly with a pop-up and say, “You have gone to an illegal site!” It would then demand money in the form of credit cards or cash cards. I heard that people that were a little bit quicker and smarter gave the scammer of the malware bad credit card numbers and scammed the scammers. You have to laugh. You think that scammers are a little bit quicker and realize when they were being scammed.

Other people may fall for this scam, and actually go out and purchase cash cards to pay their “fine.” I was talking to several different people who are in the field of security and repairing and maintaining computers. I was told by one person that he knows of at least twenty people that had this malware on their computer and purchased the prepaid cash cards. This is in a time-frame of two to three days. I also spoke to people in the field of computer repair and they also had seen an increase rise in locked computers which they had to have reformatted.

I feel that these victims are not knowledgeable in the practices of malware and protecting their computer. It is a very easy scam for people to fall for. The “Federal Government seal” and pictures of police officers breaking down your door along with the questionable material on the bottom left hand side of your monitor can be intimidating. I cannot emphasize how scammers are getting away with illegally soliciting thousands of dollars on the internet.

Let’s take in account an area like Perth Amboy. In two days you have at least $12,000 being paid out in phony so-called fines. Taking in account, the amount of time and money spent on reformatting your computer or removal of the malware, this can get very costly. Some software out there will stop this malware. As long as you go on the internet you are vulnerable and run a risk of picking this malware up or others like it. In the last five years this one malware has increased in its effectiveness.

I would recommend purchasing software to protect your computer. But it’s only as good as the company that produces it. Be careful when you go online. If you have any trouble, instead of going out to your local store and purchasing cash cards, report it to the proper authorities and consult with your local computer technicians.

Paul W. Wang