Expert: Octane - 12/7/2008

Question
i had a message come up on my ps3 that said i had spyware issues. i ran the spyware program it said to and it told me there were 3 threats moderat to savere. when i told it to get ridof them it told me to insert storage device in the save point. im not real computer savy so i have no idea what to do now. i called sony and they said they need to know exactly what it said so they were no help.  any help would  be greatly appeaceated. thanx for your time

Answer
Gday Scott,

I bet you where using your PS3 Browser at the time you got that message?  

It is a common phishing scheme used on hundreds of Internet sites and received in 100 of mails daily.  You don't really have a virus just whatever site you where searching had a hidden piece of software that attempted to run on your PS3 told you had a virus.  It then attempted to install something on the hard drive that us why it came up with the Insert Storage Device at save point.

Commonly after you get this message you are told to run a piece of software to remove it, which actually installs something sinister or wow it finds several other threats and then says well we can remove it if you pay with a credit card.  Which then downloads a piece of junk software that does nothing except scam you for more access to you CC information.

I would stay clear of whatever websites your where looking at at the time because obviously they can't be trusted.  But again if it comes up again have the exact message and probably website to pass it off to the Sony help team

Hope this helps.

Octane