How did the MBS software get onto my PC?

[ForumFriend]

You may be able to answer this question using the Internet Explorer History View program (iehv.exe).*

If your problem started within the last 20 days or so, please download this tool from here.  You will need to move
the downloaded zip file into a folder (create a new one under 'my
documents') and unzip (extract) it.

Then click on the iehv file (IE History View) to run the program - it
just lists your browser history by giving the date and time for every
site visited.

You will see a list of sites visited over the last 20 days (default
browser setting - it may be less or somebody might have recently wiped
the history).

You can sort the entries into modified date order (by earliest first)
by clicking on the 'modified date' heading. Getting the sort order
right is essential to track your browsing history accurately.

Select all the entries (use 'edit' top of screen, click, then 'select
all' or just use Ctrl and A). All the entries will then be 'ticked'.
Save them to a text file (file, save selected items) for closer
examination.

The MBS bill appears on the fourth day after the billing software was
first downloaded to your computer - look for sexxxpassport.com,
mysexworld.com (note: the installation for mysexworld appears as
'membersmatter.net') or any other suspicious sites when reviewing the
browser history with everyone who used the PC. When the bill pops up
(or porn is viewed), the site also involved is microbillsys.com.

Michael Pollitt, a freelance  journalist who has written about MBS twice in the Guardian newspaper, (see this website) has been looking at people's IEHV's.

He says: "Anybody who seriously thinks (after a very careful review of their entire history) that the billing software downloaded without consent must be prepared to submit their saved Internet Explorer history view file for technical
examination. Despite many emotive claims to date, nobody has provided
proof that installation is without user consent. Please ensure your
history file is in modified date order - earliest first. You're also
advised not to make any changes to your PC until this technical
examination is complete."

Before sending anything to Mr. Pollit, please look at your IEHV  very
thoroughly to assure yourself that you and anyone else with access
to the PC did not deliberately download MBS.

*Please note:  some people have found problems in downloading their IEHVs, but these are generally available for most computer users.

[sharon]

I have had MBS software on my PC since the weekend.  I did contact them but their e-mails were extremely threatening.  Before I realised who I was dealing with I expalined to them that my son had accessed the Pink Zone site by accident and I would like the uninstall program. 

Then they really got nasty and wanted my sons birth certificate and passport as proof of age plus signed delclarations.

At this stage I sought legal assistance, who put me onto you guys.  I read that somebody used "spybot" software to clean up their PC, this is what I went through yesterday.  It took a long time - 3 hours - because my PC was running very slowly and access to the internet kept dropping.  Whether this was because of the MBS software I do not know, but my invoice was at the severity stage.

I think I have cleared the problem.  I do not get the invoice coming up on my PC and I have blocked MBS e-mail address with my service provider.  I don't know what else to do except keep running spybot everyday.

I have contacted and written to the Trading Standards office and my next phone call is to the local police to log this incident. 

I cannot tell you have bad this has made me feel - hopefully my PC is now so protected I'll have trouble ordering a tin of peas from Tesco......

[Andy M]

Hi Sharon,

Glad you found us. I do hope that the solution you've found to remove / block MBS has done the trick. As you'll probably see from reading other people's stories on the forum, it can be quite difficult to sort the mess out after your PC has become "infected" with their software, but it is possible.

Hopefully you won't have cause to need help removing MBS software again, but if you're interested in what happens to the company in the future, keep an eye on this forum as we'll be keeping an eye on them

Andy

[rodders]

Glad I found you guys.

I happened to notice this pop up the other day but just ignored it at first. When I checked it this morning and saw I owed £29.99 I phoned this mob. I near had a heart attack when some foreign girl told me I had accessed a porn site on 2 separate occasions.  I disagreed but she was quite stroppy so I paid up. She said once it was paid all would be deleted from my computer. On hindsight I checked my shifts and I was working at the times and dates she gave me. I am at present raging about this but don't know what to do about it.

My biggest concern is they've nailed me once, can they or are they likely to come back and do it again? That really does worry me that I can be legally blackmailed.

[ForumFriend]

Okay, Rodders, here are some ideas to get you started.

(1)  Check your IE history to see if/when the site in question was accessed.  This is important as it will establish for you if anyone else in your household may have been responsible, by using your computer while you were at work.  Obviously, this doesn't solve the problem for you, but at least you'll know whether or not MBS's claims have any legitimacy.  Use [urlhttp://michaelpollitt.com/wordpress/?p=142]this link[/url] to help you.  There may be other items on this site which will interest you as well 

(2)  Complain to Trading Standards - to the office serving the area in which you live, and to West Yorkshire Trading Standards where MBS are based.  You won't get a great deal of satisfaction from this, but it is important that people complain to them in order for a body of evidence to build up.

(3)  Contact your local MP.  Again, don't expect miracles, though each MP is different and yours may, just may, want to take the matter up further and should, in any case, be prepared, on your behalf, to contact the Office of Fair Trading as a minimum.  Impress upon him/her that this has caused you great distress and that you are aware of many others who have found themselves in your predicament.  By all means feel free to contact me via the email envelope - I may be able to do more in this way too.

Please keep us informed of the progress of this, particularly once you've run your IE history.  If there is no evidence of your computer having been used to access any sites served by MBS, do let us know.  You have the dates provided by MBS for when, according to them, your computer was used to visit these, and you should be able to establish the veracity of this.

Looking forward to hearing from you again.

[ForumFriend]

Oh, and a quick PS - I don't think you need to worry that they'll pester you again.

[Rugster]

My son is 6 yrs old... does this count? I did not download any software to my pc from platte. I did not give my permission in any form to have this cancer installed on my computer.  Thats all the proof i need.

I've uninstalled the platte cancer from my pc. And taken safeguards to ensure the virus cannot be installed again.

My son is the only person to have been able to download this disgraceful piece of software, it makes me wonder is platte industries should be charge under the pedophila laws for allowing a 6 yr old child to access what they admit to being their marketting towards the adult film market. 

However I am fairly sure a 6yr old cannot create a legally binding contract. Regardless of what any reporter of the guardian thinks.  So the £29.99 and any further claims for more cash for a service i certainly have never requested or subscribed to will definately not be paid.

Or a more physical approach may be neccessary.

Oh and my history is purged when internet explorer is terminated. Matter of course..don't want excess baggage slowing my pc...