Fake Codecs - an invitation to disaster

All the images on this page are FAKES

A video codec is a programme capable of decoding digital a data stream or signal. With the advent of YouTube, Myspace and other questionable content sites, this little scam is growing at an alarmimg pace.

A fake codec is one of the favorite methods used by the authors of malware to lure computer users into downloading a file that infects their computer. They masquerade as codecs required to view online videos, then install a fake virus to lure victims into downloading a rogue anti-spyware program to remove it. These fake codecs are also constantly being repacked to avoid being detected by Antivirus applications.

Some ugly new fake codecs

A note on fake codecs

Gallery of rogues

The fake codecs are really trying to look legitimate. Presenting Adult Tuba [above], which does a great job of pretending to be a YouTube variant. With the added bonus of fake codecs, of course. As you might have guessed, none of the blanked out videos take you to anything other than the same page asking you to "Click here to download missing video ActiveX Object".

Anyone that installs something like this is going to get very excited, but not the way they had hoped. This is a professional attempt to attack your computer. Even the Ratings and Views have a genuine look.

So, what do you do if the video does not play.

The answer is very easy. NOTHING. Will your life really change if you don't watch a 90 second video.
I think not.

What codecs are included with Windows Media Player? Although this is a website about Vista, the information relating to Windows Media Player is very good - and most people have WMP installed by default on their computer.

What are the codecs I should download and install? There is no single best answer to this question. There are so many codec choices. The easiest option is to download "codec packs". Codec packs are collections of codecs gathered in single large files. There is much debate over whether it is necessary to get a large group of codec files, but it certainly is the easiest and least-frustrating option for new downloaders. Codecs.com has the latest packs

Try a different player
I never use WMP. I have found 2 alternate players that will play everything.

Democracy Player
Democracy Player, the open source answer for RSS video playback, has just made it [1/1/07] to 0.9.2 for Windows, Mac and Linux. The application is now more responsive and stable, uses less memory, integrates Bittorrent, and can now play Flash videos (including stuff from YouTube, Google, Yahoo, etc). My first choice.

VLC media player
VLC media player, a free multi-operating system media player. Most notably, VLC now supports playback of Windows Media Video 9 (WMV9) and Flash video. If you're not already familiar with VLC, you can think of it as the Swiss Army knife of media players, handling almost any video codec you throw at it on any platform you're running. The new version of VLC is well-worth the upgrade. A seious contender for number one.

Watch out for fake websites - they all look genuine

Looks like the real thing but this is nothing but trouble

Most anti-malware software will detect and block these programmess but you may never be sure. You must never download and install software unless you have a reason to trust the source of the software. If you are still suspicious you might try submitting an installer file to VirusTotal, but even this is no guarantee of safety.

Examples
See some nice scam sites - set up by our governments!

Next Page has Examples : Give us your money - we have a nice website

Internet Fraud Complaint Centres

FIDO - Australia

IC3 - USA