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Scam Virus Emails: Firewall Update Notification

Product Scams and Spams:
"Firewall Update Notification"
"Please update your Firewall as soon as possible"

Did you receive an email telling you to "Please update your Firewall as soon as possible" and recommending you download "this new FIREWALL software program" or something called "Firewall Gold"?  Do NOT click on any links in that email. It is a scam.

There are numerous links throughout the email that would probably open the door to bring backdoor Trojans, virsues, worms, spyware, keyloggers, Rootkits, or other harmful malware to your computer.

Simple delete the email, without clicking on the links or responding and you should be fine.

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Scam / Spam Email:. 

Subject: Please update your Firewall as soon as possible

From: "Firewall Update Notification" < return@ip16.tiestwister.com > 

firewall Update Notification

Please update your Firewall as soon as possible ===================================

There is a high possibility that your PC's Firewall security settings may become exploited by malicious websites without your knowledge. This could easily lead to attacks on your PC's hard drive:

- Unwanted Virus Downloads

- Uncontrollable Trojan horse attacks

- The running of unwanted script programs

- The installation of malicious spyware

If your PC is not protected correctly then these attacks could allow hackers to track your movements across the Internet. It also means that your information, ranging from passwords to credit card numbers, can be stored by sites that you visit. A successful hacker could examine this information and extract it, setting the stage for identity theft, credit card fraud, or worse.

Some unknown or untrusted websites use script programs to change your home page, modify your web history, display advertisements, disable your back button, or redirect you to different websites without your consent. Such scripts have also been recently used by Russian hackers to silently install viruses on end-user's computers.

One way to protect your PC is to download this new FIREWALL software program.

Press here to run the Firewall system scan now

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Message headers (with victim's information removed)

From Firewall Update Notification Wed Apr 9 04:43:37 2008

X-YahooFilteredBulk: 216.75.28.5

X-Originating-IP: [216.75.28.5]

Return-Path: <ret@ip16.tiestwister.com>

Authentication-Results: mta210.mail.re2.yahoo.com from=ip16.tiestwister.com; domainkeys=neutral (no sig)

Received: from 216.75.28.5 (HELO ip5.standsole.com) (216.75.28.5) by mta210.mail.re2.yahoo.com with SMTP; Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:43:17 -0700

Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 03:43:37 -0800

Message-ID: <1207737817.3264@ip16.tiestwister.com>

X-ip16.tiestwister.com-MsgID: bz45796-pa_y3f

Subject: Please update your Firewall as soon as possible

From: "Firewall Update Notification"   Add Mobile Alert

MIME-Version: 1.0

Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="mg_boundary-397583-971393"

Content-Length: 5016

 

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Further Information

Copies of the documents mentioned in this news release are available from the FTC's Web site  and from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, click here or call 1-877-382-4357. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Frank Dorman,
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2674

STAFF CONTACT:

Karen Jagielski,
Bureau of Consumer Protection
202-326-2509

To see a list of other product cases click here.