Month: December 2011

Scammers using kids now…

In the mail bag today:

From: “Barbara Cole”<bcole@go.com>
Subject: Help me please
Date: December 31, 2011 3:06:54 PM CST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Reply-To: <bcole013@yahoo.co.jp>
I’m Barbara Cole, I’m 15 years old girl I live in Bolton UK before my Dad passed away in a car accident 3 years ago, I now live with my step mother in Warrington, My mother died immediately she gave birth to me. My late Dad Mr.Norman Cole was a big business man in UK before he died in a car accident 2007 I am the only child of my Dad, he died 3 days after the accident, He Will all his life savings to me, I have been trying to collect the funds from the bank but the bank MD CEO refused, he said I should present someone old enough so he can transfer the funds to the person that I can’t be in control of the huge amount of funds because I am still a teenage and it is against the UK law.
I would have told my step mother to assist me in collecting the funds from the bank but she is not a good woman, my Dad warned me about her before he died, now that I live with her I now understand that what my Dad said about her was true, because she don’t give me attention she don’t care if I am alright or not, all she do is to take hard drugs and bring different men to the house. I don’t want to have anything to do with her. If I get her involved in this she will use all the funds to take hard drugs.  All I wish for right now is someone old enough and honest to help me collect my funds from the bank as I am still a teenage and it is against the UK law.  Why I can’t wait until i am 18 years is because what my step mum is doing to me is not fair and i don’t want her to Influence me with her bad life style i just wan’t to live so i can live a better life.
I know we don’t know each other but please I need your help if you can assist me to collect the funds from the bank I will give you 50% out of the funds, Then you will help me invest my 50% until I am 18 and I will be staying with you or you will get somewhere for me to stay until I am 18 years old.
If you agree to help me, I will send you a copy of the Will and my picture so you will know me, and I will send you the contact of the Bank and tell you how much is the funds so you can contact them, and I will inform the bank that you will contact them that you are the person that want to help me.
I will be waiting for your urgent reply so I can send you the contact of the bank and my father’s Will and death certificate.
Please this letter has to be confidential,and I need your 100% trust and loyalty because the lawyer I got involved wanted to made away with the money, so I told the bank not to transfer the funds to him, I already promised to give you half of the funds so please be honest with me.
If you are interested please reply me on my email: bcole013@yahoo.co.jp
Best Regards
Barbara Cole

Removing Antivirus 2012

This nasty bug has been popping up on more and more computers.  It installs itself by drive-by-downloads from malicious sites, popups and ads.  Browsers susceptible to the venerability such as internet exploder.

The virus it loads is a TorjanDropper “Siredef”

It’s tale signs of existing is look-alike virus screens telling you that your computer is infected and you can clean your computer by registering the Antivirius 2012 software.  It also goes by “Vista Antivirus 2012” “Windows 7 Antivirus 2012” etc etc,

It’s a pain to remove but can be done.  Reboot your computer into safe mode (press F8 as the computer starts up) and as soon as the computer starts, click on the start button, and in the search bar go to

c:\users\_username_\appdata\local

be sure and chose the proper username.  it should be the one of the current user that’s logged in.  look for a file at the end of the list that is a three letter program.  The virus uses random letters so it will be mew.exe, ljh.exe cam.exe, etc etc.

Once you’ve located the file name of the virus, you’ll need to reboot in safe mode again and this time click on start, in the search bar type regedit.  this will launch the registry editor.,  Press CTRL-HOME to go to the top of the registry.  Then press CTRL-F and in the search bar type the name of the three letter virus.  Be sure and add.exe at the end of the file name.

the values will have the text

c:\users\username\appdata\local\abc.exe -a “%” “%” or something similar.  Erase the entire path and file name, as well as the -a  from each string.  After you’ve done one press F3 to go to the next and continue.  You may get a few hits on “script profile” you can skip these.

Once the last is done reboot.

After restarting go back to the location of the virus (c:\users\username\appdata\local) and delete the virus.  Be sure and restart your normal antivirus program and do a full scan.  And quit using internet explorer.

XM Radio, should I trust you?

I got a new car, well a used car but new to me, and in it came an XM receiver.  As little as I listen to the radio, I wasn’t really interested but I do enjoy listening to NPR and the local NPR (KMBH/KHID) do horrible jobs with their local programing.  The chance of listening to a national feed of NPR would be very appealing.  So I went to XM’s site and found this FAQ

How do I activate the SiriusXM radio in a new pre-owned vehicle?

So i clicked and was taken to:

https://listenercare.siriusxm.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3677

that directed me to

https://care.siriusxm.com/oemaccountauthentication_view.action?fromLogin=true

I was prompted to enter my zip code and ESN #

Now this car was bought in a local lot so the chance of having the same zip code as the previous owner is fairly high.  I put in the info and was given this page next..

I was then giving the previous owner’s name, account number and address.

Companies who we chose to do business with should make more effort to ensure that the information we trust with them is protected.  Consumers also need to be aware of what that give out.  I try and always use my post box for an address instead of my home address.  I also give out my google# instead of my home/cell numbers.  Also assigning email addresses that can be tracked to find out who is giving it out helps greatly.

 

One fine morning

It’s funny how quickly things can change.  My routine was simple.  Hear the alarm at 7, snooze until 7is, get dressed, kiss the wife goodbye, and off to work I go to make the 30 minute drive to Weslaco.  I’ve been doing that for about 7 years now.  I thought yesterday wouldn’t be any different.

Up 16th st, cut across on primrose to main to get the traffic light, turn left onto Nolana while waving to the crossing guard who is always way to cheerful at 7 in the morning, thru the school zone taking Nolana to US 281, and interchange to US 83 to Weslaco.  Traffic is usually heavy and Nolana at this time as well as on 281.  I never expected this lady to interrupt my morning commute.

I had turned onto Nolana heading east towards the expressway, Nolana is now 6 lanes with three lanes in either direction as well as the turning lane.  I was in the middle lane with a car slightly ahead of me in the left-most lane and possibly a car to the right of me in the right lane next to the turning lane.  I was driving through the school zone and approaching 12th street where the school zone ends so starting to pick up some speed.  Cars (and people) usually cross at 12th street but there isn’t a traffic light there, only a stop sign for the cross-traffic.  The car to the left of me must have been turning on to 12th street and there was a car on 12th turning into Nolana turning west.  That car so the car to the left of me turn but didn’t see me still going straight.  She turned into me.  Everything happened really quickly.  I remember a sudden stop, I didn’t even have time to hit the breaks.  Then there was a sizzling sound and a burning smell.  At first I thought it was the engine and radiator fluid.  So I unbuckle, try and get out, it locked.  unlock, get out and walk over to the other car.  Lady in the front seat, look in the back seat, empty.  I walk back over to her and she’s crawling over to the passenger side since she can’t get out of her side and ask for a phone.  I had set it in my console so I walk back over to my car to get it.  the radio is still on and I notice that all of the airbags had deployed.  Got my phone and started to call 911.  Then I saw a police car approach.  (that was fast)  People have stopped and were asking about me.  I was fine.  I thought, I should call patti, I looked down and my phone was already calling her.  ok?  Amber had driven right through the accident and saw me and called her first.  So I explained that I was ok but might need another way to get to work.  She was heading over.  I took a moment and took my first snap-shoot of the event and posted it to facebook.  I sent the same photo to my office with a note “I might be a little late” IMG_0519ed

So checked in with the police, handed my license and insurance paperwork over for the first if many times that day.  I wanted to let the police get the statements from the witnesses first before me.  So Patti showed up and I had her call the insurance.  About that time I notice my writs and see that my left is pretty red and a few scratches and cuts, my left is hurting but nothing obvious.  The cops finally come by and ask me about what happened.  The lady who was in the other car was still in her full body pajamas and fuzzy slippers.  (no wonder she never got out of the car) At one point she left and the owner of the car, her husband?, who had shown up said she left to get her license.  Anyway.. a while later I see the cops talking her her giving her a ticket.

So they tow off the car, Patti drives us to the tow yard where we empty out the car into hers. She then takes me to the doctor where they prescribe some meds but didn’t find anything serious.   So we get home and finally start catching up on all of the text and email.  Actually, everyone was calling and texting patti.  I think my sister was the only one who called me.  So check up on the insurance.  The car was paid off but we kept comp and collision on it.  We also had a rental reimbursement on it so I wanted to check on how to start using that.  I called Progressive, keyed in my account number and was connected directly to my local rep who was just about to call me.  She took my statement.  She also asked me which repair shop I wanted to use.  She setup for that shop to pick up the car and she also setup the car rental for me.  All I had to do was go pick it up.  Progressive really made the whole experience easy.  I would recommend them.

IMG_0600IMG_0602IMG_0603edIMG_0605IMG_0608IMG_0609IMG_0610IMG_0611IMG_0612

 

So Hannah had her Christmas band concert last night, I went with a wrist brace and bandages.  It was a good concert though.  The kids did well.  Back to work today just taking iteasy.  Glad it didn’t turn out worse.  I’d like to thank everyone to called and texted to check on me, even it was was through patti 🙂  Never knew how many knew me who pass through that road.