The cybercriminals are at it again, this time as a Trojan disguised as software that advises whether or not a computer would be compatible with Windows 7. These scammers pride themselves on their ability to hone in on what is popular online, and any time a new operating system is released, they rejoice and use the development as an illicit way to gain funds.

 

The news of the Trojan wasn’t too surprising to industry watchers, however. Windows 7 is still considered a “new” item to many, as it has not even been available for an entire year. People can be eager and excited to try out a new operating system, and will jump on anything that will give them the information they need in order to make the switch. If there is a Trojan in the software, these folks can become infected without realizing it.

 

Luckily, this Trojan attack was spotted early, and is spreading at the rate of around three installs per hour, says BitDefender’s Online Threats Lab. Since this is a new scam that is capitalizing on the interest in Windows 7, many people will more than likely continue to fall for it and infect their computers with this Trojan that has to do with a fake Facebook password reset campaign. This is Trojan.Generic.3783603, which creates a backdoor to the now-infected computer. Scammers can place malicious, unwanted software on these computers as well. Never open email attachments from someone you do not know.