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Health & Fitness

BBB Scam Alert: Watch Out for Malware Disguised as Sudoku Generator

A scam that promises unlimited Sudoku puzzles is extra tempting this time of year as you slowly start to get back into your work groove.

A scam that promises unlimited Sudoku puzzles is extra tempting this time of year as you slowly start to get back into your work groove.   

How the Scam Works:

You receive a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that promises to automatically generate Sudoku puzzles. However, when you open the file and try to create a new puzzle, you get a message that you need to "enable macros" by disabling the software's security setting.

If you do so, you will allow the malware to run on your computer. It will scan your system and send an email with details about your machine, according to computer security blog Naked Security. 

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What are Macros?

If you perform a task repeatedly in Microsoft Excel (or another Microsoft Office program), you can speed up your work by automating the task with a macro, a series of commands. However, macros are also a common way for scammers to sneak malware onto your computer.

Back in the 1990s, scammers frequently used this trick until Microsoft set all its software to automatically block macros. This adjustment forced scammers to abandon this technique and find new ways of fooling users. With this new malware, scammers hope that today's Excel users have forgotten all about macros.   

My File is Asking me to Enable Macros. Is This a Scam?   

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It can be hard to know when to allow macros in your Microsoft files. Follow these tips to ensure you don't accidentally allow a virus to run on your computer.   

  • Whenever you open an Excel workbook that contains macros, you can verify their source before you enable them. Just look for the digital signature, an electronic stamp of authenticity. See Microsoft's page on macro security for more information.    
  • Set your macro security level to control what happens when you open a workbook that contains a macro. You can choose to run macros based on whether they are digitally signed by a developer on your list of trusted sources. (To find this setting, go to the Tools menu, Macro submenu. Then, click the "Security Level" tab in the "Security" dialog box). 
  • Watch out for macros in other Microsoft software. This scam involves Excel, but if this technique works, scammers will produce similar tricks using Power Point and Word Documents.

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