Individuals and groups offering cracked or \u201cfake\u201d Microsoft’s software want to delete your files and Facebook account.<\/p>\n
This seems to be one of the messages in Microsoft’s \u201cAre you FAKE or GENUINE?\u201d campaign launched towards the end of last year.<\/p>\n
After clicking on an ad users are taken to a web page where they have to choose whether they are \u201cfake\u201d or \u201cgenuine.\u201d<\/p>\n
When selecting \u201cgenuine\u201d you’re prompted to install an Adobe Air application which, after some clicking, starts playing a video of Prime Circle’s song \u201cBreathing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Big choices, big risks<\/strong><\/p>\n It then asserts that \u201cthe choice you make between using pirated or genuine software will have a positive or negative impact on your business or studies and ultimately your life.\u201d<\/p>\n Microsoft goes on to say that pirated software has a higher total cost of ownership as it carries no manufacturer’s warranty and users won’t be entitled to technical assistance if they need it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could lose everything in your bank accounts or have your hard drive wiped out because of the intentional security vulnerabilities that are associated with counterfeit hacked online downloadable copies of Windows,\u201d the warnings continue.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, see what could happen to your computer if you do make use of pirated or counterfeit software.\u201d<\/p>\n P-I-R-A-C-Y spells DOOM<\/strong><\/p>\n Clicking through causes the same Prime Circle video to be played, but it’s cut short by a burst of static which cuts to a black screen with what seems to be a command prompt.<\/p>\n \u201cSTARTING FORMAT DELETING ALL FILES,\u201d the animation ominously announces, shortly followed by \u201cDELETING FACEBOOK ACCOUNT.\u201d<\/p>\n After displaying the message \u201cOperation Complete\u201d the app cuts back to the pretty frame with the HD TV showing this warning:<\/p>\n \u201cYou can count yourself lucky this time around. This is the reality you face when using counterfeit or pirated software on your computer.\u201d<\/p>\n