OREANDA-NEWS. August 11, 2011. Over the past few days Russian Internet providers found out a number of incidents when users’ computers had been infected with malware blocking Internet access as if it were “channel overload”. After the computer had been infected, the mentioned malware suggested that a user should enable “reserve Internet access channels” by writing his mobile phone number or sending a text message.

Due to the above Rostelecom considers it necessary to advise of the following:

1. The mentioned software is a computer virus which seems to have been written to launch the fraud scheme to earn illegal income by deluding subscribers.

2. Neither Rostelecom nor any other Internet access providers bear any relation to this software.

3. Rostelecom has never rendered services for providing and enabling reserve Internet access channels by means of sending text messages with codes.

4.  The fabricated pages, patterned after websites of the official providers including Rostelecom, have never been placed on the websites of the official providers. They contain unfaithful information. As may be supposed, these pages are displayed locally on a user’s computer (for example, through hosts file) due to replacing IP-address of such domains as rostelecom.ru.

If user’s computer was infected with the mentioned software and displayed the pages suggesting release of Internet access by means of indicating user’s mobile phone number or sending a text message Rostelecom would recommend:

1. Not to send your mobile phone numbers or text messages in order to unblock Internet access.

2. Check your computer for viruses by means of anti-virus software and kill it as soon as possible.

3. In case if a user fell a victim to fraudulent operations of the virus writers and suffered material damage, Rostelecom would recommend  to file an application to the law enforcement agencies.

Furthermore, Rostelecom informs that the Company’s network operates without overloading and provides reliable and effective transmission of Internet traffic.

Rostelecom intends to solve the emerged problem hand in hand with Russian producers of anti-virus software and apply to competent authorities to identify the writers of the mentioned malicious software in order to claim against them in a prescribed legal procedure.