It happend to me

Yesterday I was looking up something online and I get a message from some antivirus program saying my computer was infected. Well, I'd never heard of the program but up came the Windows protector-sheild thingy screen with it so I figured it was a Microsoft thing. We have a antivirus program already through our internet company but I knew it hadn't been updated in a month because we didn't click the balloon that said "click here to update" and take care of all your troubles.. well.. we should have clicked that balloon last month.

So this new program, Security Tool, pops up and says I have like 45 infections or whatever on the computer. I knew our computer has issues, it's so slow and the screen is slowly losing it's pixels, so I believed the program. I go to update the Charter antivirus software but I get issues with it and eventually go back to Security Tool, and look into it. Well, all of a sudden I get bombarded with WARNINGS from Security Tool saying these infections/worms/viruses are going to hack into my passwords and steal credit card numbers. I believe it like a fool and decide to spend the $50 to register Security Tool and PROTECT my computer. I could barely fill out my credit card info without tons of those WARNING screens coming up urging my to protect my computer. As soon as the payment goes through, the list of viruses on the Security Tool screen start deleting. OK, I think..it's working. A little too fast maybe? I didn't do anything to set it off...hmmmmmmmm...

So I call Kurtis, freaked out, tell him what happened and he tells me to call the company and call the credit card company to cancel the charge. NO! I think, then our computer will be UNPROTECTED! But I called the company (they sent an email with information about the payment, the company, who to contact..it looked real) and I get a Russian-sounding man on the other end. I explain what happend and he responds, in like 10 seconds 'Yes that's normal it deletes them right away. Thank you, goodbye.'  RUSSIA??? I know we're outsourcing jobs but RUSSIA? hmmmmmmm... something is fishy here..

I called Kurtis back, told him about Mr. Russia quick-talker and he looks up the number, which tells us IT'S A SCAM! AHHHH! (cue scary music...) DARN IT! I'm so mad at myself for falling for it! It's a scam antivirus virus program that tricks you into thinking you have viruses and gets you to pay for it so it'll stop bombarding you with those WARNING messages. I never even thought there was something like this! 

Needless to say, it's a beast to remove. Nearly a day later, multiple restarts, 3 removal programs, 2 successsful scans, and a cancelled credit card, I have removed Security Tool. I felt so bad because I didn't really play with Sarah as I was attempting to fix my errors and I yelled at her a few times for being so whiny.. I'm sorry baby girl!

Lessons learned: don't freak out and make rash decisions, don't trust anything you don't know about, update your antivirus software and bad things can happen to you!