Do not trust fake "U.S Department of Labor" emails
Phishing/ScamAlso Known As: U.S Department of Labor spam
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What is "U.S Department of Labor"?
"U.S Department of Labor" is yet another Coronavirus/COVID-19-themed spam email campaign. These messages are disguised as official notices from the "U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division", informing recipients of the latest changes made to the "Employee Request Form under the Family and Medical Leave of Act (FMLA)".
The emails advise people to carefully analyze the attached document, if they wish to request paid leave. In fact, if the malicious document is opened, it triggers the infection process of an information-stealing Trojan called TrickBot.

The emails entitled "This is a new Employee Request Form under the Family and Medical Leave of Act (FMLA)" state that such messages have been sent to all qualified workers. The emails are supposedly notifications concerning certain changes made to the "Employee Request Form under the Family and Medical Leave of Act (FMLA)" due to the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
These unspecified modifications to the FMLA must be studied, and for employee convenience, all significant corrections have been outlined within the enclosed document. The messages provide the date when these supposed changes will come into effect.
If employees intend to demand paid leave, they are instructed study the form, complete it, and then send it to their HR department before the given date. Note that these "U.S Department of Labor" emails are scams. The attached files does not contain the information claimed - instead, they spread the TrickBot Trojan.
The primary function of this malicious program is data theft. Therefore, as well as compromising system integrity, TrickBot infections can lead to financial loss, serious privacy issues and identity theft. If it is known or suspected that the TrickBot Trojan (or other malware) has already infected the system, it is crucial to use anti-virus software to remove it immediately.
| Name | U.S Department of Labor spam |
| Threat Type | Trojan, password-stealing virus, banking malware, spyware. |
| Hoax | Emails are disguised as mail from the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division. |
| Attachment(s) | FMLA-instr.doc |
| Detection Names | Avast (VBA:Downloader-EUY [Trj]), Fortinet (VBA/Dloader.1B7C!tr), AegisLab (Trojan.MSWord.Generic.4!c), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan-Downloader.MSOffice.SLoad), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal). |
| Related Domains | bid-dolgov[.]us, dol-bids[.]us, dol[.]global, dolbids[.]com, open-biddolgov[.]us, openbid-dolgov[.]us, openbids-dolgov[.]com, openbids-dolgov[.]us, opendolbid[.]us, us-dolbids[.]us, usdol-gov[.]com, usdol-gov[.]us |
| Symptoms | Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine. |
| Payload | TrickBot |
| Distribution methods | Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software 'cracks'. |
| Damage | Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim's computer added to a botnet. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) |
To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. Download Combo CleanerTo use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com. |
Emails such as "U.S Department of Labor" are distributed by the thousand in large-scale operations termed "spam campaigns". The messages can have various disguises. Typically, they are presented as "official", "important" and "urgent", and often as mail from legitimate institutions, organizations, companies, service providers and so on.
They can even exploit social climates or trends. For example, "COVID-19 test", "COVID-19 Part Time Employment", "COVID-19 Relief" and "COVID-19 Solution Announced by WHO" are other spam campaigns, using the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
Regardless of what these emails claim, request or demand, their purpose is the same: to generate revenue to the cyber criminals behind them. As well as spreading malicious software, spam campaigns are also used for phishing and other scams.
How did "U.S Department of Labor" infect my computer?
Systems are infected through dangerous files, distributed via spam campaigns. They can be attached to emails, or the messages can contain download links to the malicious files. These files can be in various formats such as Microsoft Office and PDF documents, archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.
When infectious files are executed, run or otherwise opened, the infection process starts (i.e., it triggers malware download/installation). For example, Microsoft Office documents infect systems by executing malicious macro commands.
In MS Office versions released before 2010, this process begins automatically once the document is opened, however, newer versions prompt users for permission to enable macros (i.e., to enable editing/content). Therefore, the infection is started only after macro commands are manually enabled.
How to avoid installation of malware
To avoid malware proliferated through spam campaigns, do not open dubious or irrelevant emails, especially those with any attachments or links found within them. You are advised to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010, as newer version have "Protected View" mode.
Therefore, when a dangerous document is opened, the infection process is not immediately initiated. Other common distribution methods of malicious programs are via untrusted download channels (e.g. unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders), illegal activation ("cracking") tools and bogus updates.
Therefore, it is important to download only from official/verified sources, and activate and update products with tools/functions provided by genuine developers. To ensure device integrity and user safety, it is paramount to have reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware installed and kept up to date.
Use this software for regular system scans and to remove detected/potential threats. If you have already opened "U.S Department of Labor" attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "U.S Department of Labor" email message:
Subject: This is a new Employee Request Form under the Family and Medical Leave of Act (FMLA)
Dear employees, This message is sent to all qualified workers in order to notify of specific changes which have been made into the existing Family and Medical Leave of Act with regards to the recent COVID-19 Act. We want to inform you of various modifications that have been made in the performance of the FMLA structure, and assume that all that all employees will review and properly understand these changes. All these significant corrections are outlined inside the enclosure along with Family and Medical Leave of Act Employee Request Form under the FMLA and will be in power may. 30st, 2020. In order to ask for paid leave based on the FMLA, remember to analyze the papers carefully, get informed about the adjustments which have been made, complete the form and send to HR until May. 29, 2020. The above is an automatic notice, please don't answer directly to this specific letter. Best Regards, U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division
Malicious attachment ("FMLA-instr.doc") distributed via "U.S Department of Labor" spam campaign:

Update January 20, 2022 - We found new "U.S Department of Labor" (DoL) scam emails. The fake letters are designed for phishing recipients' account log-in credentials (the analyzed samples targeted Microsoft 365 passwords).
These letters invite recipients to make bids on government projects. What is noteworthy is that most of the variants were sent from email addresses masquerading as the legitimate ones used by DoL. These emails have a PDF document attached to them, which contains a link ("BID" button) redirecting to a phishing site.
Carefully crafted, the pages appear nigh indistinguishable from the legitimate United States Department of Labor (dol.gov) website. They even mimicked its domain, observed instances include: bid-dolgov[.]us, dol-bids[.]us, dol[.]global, dolbids[.]com, open-biddolgov[.]us, openbid-dolgov[.]us, openbids-dolgov[.]com, openbids-dolgov[.]us, opendolbid[.]us, us-dolbids[.]us, usdol-gov[.]com, and usdol-gov[.]us.
When our researchers attempted to sign in through the webpage - it claimed that the entered information was incorrect. The second attempt resulted in a redirect to the real DoL website.
The scammers behind these emails use this tactic to deflect user suspicion and extend the timeframe until they realize their accounts have been exposed. Meanwhile, the cyber criminals can abuse the "incorrectly entered" credentials, gain access/control over corresponding accounts, and cause a wide variety of damage.
Screenshot of the "U.S Department of Labor" scam email variant:

Text presented in this letter:
Subject: INVITATION FOR BID
U.S DEPARTMENT Of LABOR
(For Immediate Release)
Attn: -
INVITATION FOR BID
BID: 01153900 & 01153901
Due Date: 12/10/2021
Description: Commercial Contracts
The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking proposals from qualifeed contractors (RFP) for ongoing government projects.
U.S Dol Registration Instructions:
Kindly download the attached bid document and follow the instructions carefully to access our Procurement portal
Click on the "BID" button on the bid document and sign in to access the project documents
Prior to award of this solicitation your business must sign in as a bidder in our Procurement portal
This registration is maintained by you and you may update your information at any time after the bid documents has been emailed to you
Please be sure to sign in with your email provider to generate a unique bid number to access the project documents
Attached Bid File should be downloaded (Office 365 users might not be able to click the bid button if file is not downloaded)
Any Question regarding the preparation of proposal should be submitted by email to:
U.S. Department of Labour
Office of Large, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
Chief Procurement Office (N)
Appearance of the PDF attachment promoted through this email variant (GIF):

Screenshot of the fake U.S Department of Labor website promoted through this file:

Screenshot of another page of this fraudulent site:

Screenshot of the fake website's sign-in page used for phishing account credentials:

Another example of an email from "U.S Department of Labor" spam campaign:

Text presented within:
Subject: Invitation To Bid (General Contracator) - OFFICIAL INVIATION
U.S DEPARTMENT Of LABOR
(For Immediate Release)
Attn: admin@brassname.comOrganization: brassname.com
INVITATION TO BID
BID: 0173978474 & 8794749484Start Date: 7/14/2024 7:51:35 p.m.
Due Date: 09/14/2024 8:00 a.m.
Description: Commercial Contracts
The United States Department of Labor is seeking proposals from qualified contractors for ongoing government projects (RFP).Instructions for U.S. DOL Registration:
To access our Procurement site, please download the bid paper attached and carefully follow the instructions.
To view the project documents, register by clicking the "BID" button on the bid document.
Prior to being awarded this request, your organization must register as a bidder on our Procurement site.
After receiving the bid materials, you are responsible for maintaining this registration and may change your information at any time.
Sign in with your email provider to create a special bid number in order to view the project materials.U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Large, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
Chief Procurement Officer (N)
Carl Campbell
Email: carl.campbell@dol.gov
Screenshot of the attached malicious MS Word document:

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Types of malicious emails:
If you opened an attachment or downloaded a file from a suspicious email, run a full system scan with Combo Cleaner. If you only received the email and didn't engage with it, you don't need to scan anything - just identify the scam and delete it. The full procedure below covers both situations and what to do if you already clicked, replied, or sent money.
Credential theft Phishing emails
Fake login pages disguised as PayPal, Microsoft, Apple, banks, or social networks. The email pushes a link to a near-perfect copy of the real login screen. The moment you type your username and password, the attacker has them.
Common subject lines
- "Action required: confirm your account"
- "Your password expires today"
- "Unusual sign-in attempt detected"
- "Verify your billing information"
Malware delivery Emails with malicious attachments
Trojans hidden inside fake invoices, faxes, shipping confirmations, or Office documents. Opening the attachment runs the payload and infects the system - often with an info-stealer or remote-access trojan.
Common subject lines
- "Invoice INV-2026-XXXX attached"
- "Fax received - 3 pages"
- "Your shipping document is ready"
- "Voicemail from +1-XXX-XXX-XXXX"
Extortion Sextortion emails
Fake claims of webcam recordings demanding cryptocurrency. Almost always a bluff: the attacker pulls a real password from an old data breach to make the threat look credible, then claims to have video of you. They have no recording and no access.
Common subject lines
- "I know your password is XXXX"
- "Your account has been hacked"
- "I have recorded you - 48 hours to pay"
- "You have been compromised"
Callback fraud Refund & callback scams
"Your subscription was renewed for $499 - call to cancel." Norton, McAfee, Geek Squad, PayPal, and Wells Fargo variants are all common. There's no real subscription. The phone number in the email connects directly to the scammer, who walks you through "refunding" yourself - which is actually them stealing money from your bank.
Common subject lines
- "Norton subscription auto-renewed - $499.99"
- "McAfee Total Protection invoice"
- "Geek Squad order confirmation"
- "Your PayPal payment is being processed"
Credential theft Account suspension & verification scams
"Your account will be deleted in 24 hours - verify now." The artificial deadline is the whole point: it pressures you to click before checking details. The "verify" link goes to a phishing page styled to look like the real provider.
Common subject lines
- "Your account will be deleted in 24 hours"
- "Suspicious activity detected - verify now"
- "Final warning: account closure"
- "Action required to keep your account active"
Mixed payload Delivery & package scams
Fake DHL, USPS, UPS, or FedEx tracking, customs fees, or "package undeliverable" notices. Targets anyone expecting a parcel - the timing alone catches many people. The link hides either phishing (asking for card details to "release" the package) or a malware download.
Common subject lines
- "Your DHL package is held at customs"
- "USPS - delivery attempt failed"
- "FedEx tracking update - action required"
- "Pay $2.99 redelivery fee to release your parcel"
Remote access Tech support scams
Fake Microsoft, Apple, or "Windows Defender" security alerts pushing a phone number. Real Microsoft and Apple never email a phone number to call. The number connects you to a scammer who asks for remote access to "fix" the imaginary problem and then demands payment.
Common subject lines
- "Microsoft Defender expired - renew now"
- "Apple ID security alert"
- "Critical: virus detected on your PC"
- "Windows license expired - call now"
Wire fraud Advance-fee scams
Inheritance, lottery wins, romance, or business deals that ask for a small fee to release a much larger sum. The classic "Nigerian prince" 419 family of frauds. Once you pay the first fee, more fees appear (taxes, lawyer, transfer charges) until you stop paying. The promised money never exists.
Common subject lines
- "Inheritance from a relative you didn't know about"
- "You won the international lottery"
- "URGENT - business proposal worth $XX million"
- "Compensation fund release for fraud victims"
Wire fraud Business email compromise (BEC)
CEO impersonation asking employees to wire money or buy gift cards, or fake supplier invoices with newly "updated" bank details for payment redirection. The email often spoofs a real internal executive's display name and uses an external lookalike domain.
Common subject lines
- "Quick task - need you to buy gift cards"
- "Updated banking details for invoice payment"
- "Wire transfer request - urgent"
- "Are you available?" (CEO impersonation opener)
How to spot a malicious email?
Check the sender's actual address, not the display name
The display name (the human-readable part) is trivial to fake. Always check the full address that comes after it. Common red flags:
- Domain mismatch -
service@paypa1.com,support@micros0ft-help.com, look-alike domains using digits or extra hyphens - Free-email impersonation - any "official" message from a bank, courier, or platform sent from a
@gmail.com,@outlook.com, or@yahoo.comaddress - Reply-To mismatch - the From address looks legitimate but Reply-To points somewhere completely different
Real companies own their domains and send mail from them. A "DHL" message from a Gmail address is never legitimate, regardless of how convincing the body looks.
Watch for urgency, threats, and generic greetings
Scams almost always rush you. The point is to make you act before you think. Treat any of the following as a strong signal:
- "Your account will be deleted in 24 hours"
- "Final notice" / "Immediate action required"
- "Dear Customer" or "Dear User" instead of your real name
- Threats of fines, account closure, legal action, or arrest
- Promises of refunds, prizes, or money you didn't earn
- Spelling and grammar mistakes in messages claiming to come from a major brand
Hover over every link before clicking
On a desktop, hover the mouse over the link without clicking. The real destination shows in the bottom-left status bar of your browser or email client. On a phone, long-press the link to preview the URL.
- Real Microsoft, PayPal, or bank links go to those exact domains, not redirects through unrelated sites
- Shortened URLs (
bit.ly,tinyurl,t.co) hide the real destination - never click them in unsolicited mail - The visible link text and the actual URL must match - mismatches are the single biggest phishing red flag
When in doubt, don't click the link. Open a new browser tab and type the company's address yourself, then log in normally. If there really is an issue with your account, you'll see it there.
Treat unexpected attachments as hostile
If you didn't ask for the file, don't open it - even if it appears to come from someone you know. Categories that should never be opened from email without verification through another channel:
.exe,.scr,.iso,.img,.vbs,.bat- executables, never legitimate attachments.docx,.xlsx,.pptxwith "Enable macros" prompts - the macros run the malware.pdfwith "Click here to view" buttons - usually a phishing redirect, not a real document.zip,.rar,.7zarchives, especially password-protected ones - the password defeats the email scanner
If you only received the email and didn't reply, click, or open anything, the steps below are all you need. Your computer is not infected.
Don't reply, don't click "unsubscribe"
Replying confirms your address is real and monitored, which gets you added to higher-value scam lists. The "unsubscribe" link in a scam message is rarely a real opt-out - it usually leads to a phishing page or downloads a tracking pixel.
Instead, mark the message as junk or phishing inside your email client (this trains the spam filter), then block the sender.
Report the scam to your email provider and authorities
Inside your email client:
- Gmail: open the message → ⋮ menu → Report phishing
- Outlook / Outlook.com: ⋯ menu → Report → Report phishing
- Apple Mail / iCloud: Move to Junk, then forward to
reportphishing@apple.com
Forward or report to authorities:
After reporting, delete the email and empty the Trash folder so you don't accidentally open it later.
Pick the step below that matches what you did. If multiple apply, work through them in the order they appear - the steps are arranged from lowest to highest risk.
You only clicked a link (didn't enter anything or download anything)
Close the page right away. Don't enter any information, even if the page looks legitimate.
- Clear your browser cache and cookies for the last hour - → Last hour → check Cookies and Cached files
- Run a quick scan with Combo Cleaner in case the page tried to drop a file silently (drive-by download)
- Update your browser to the latest version - most drive-by exploits target outdated browsers
- Watch for new browser pop-ups, redirects, or unfamiliar notifications over the next few days
Modern browsers block most drive-by attacks, but a single click on a phishing page can still be enough on an outdated browser or unpatched plugin. A quick scan catches anything that landed silently.
You opened an attachment or downloaded a file - run a full malware scan
Opening an attachment is the most common path to actual infection. Treat the system as compromised until the scans below come back clean. Work through these sub-steps in order:
Unplug Ethernet and turn off Wi-Fi. If the attachment was an info-stealer or remote-access trojan, this stops it from sending data out or receiving commands. Keep the network off until you've booted into Safe Mode (next step) - you'll reconnect there briefly to download the scanners.
Windows 11: → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → press 5 or F5.
Windows 10: hold Shift, click Power → Restart → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → press F5.
Once Safe Mode has loaded, turn Wi-Fi back on and download Combo Cleaner (used in 8.4) and Microsoft Safety Scanner (used in 8.5). Safe Mode loads only minimal drivers, so most malware can't auto-run while you're getting the tools. Save both installers to your Desktop.
Reboot to normal Windows. Open . Select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now. The PC restarts into a stripped-down environment and scans the disk before Windows fully loads - this is what catches rootkits and bootkits.
VB100 certified. Includes anti-trojan, registry/persistence scanning, and anti-spyware in one pass. The 7-day free trial is available.
Download Combo CleanerInstall Combo Cleaner and run a full system scan (not the quick scan). Let it complete fully, review what it found, and apply the recommended actions. Combo Cleaner will quarantine known trojans and remove their persistence in the registry.
Download Microsoft Safety Scanner (MSERT.exe). The binary expires every 10 days, which means every download has the latest signatures. Run a full scan after Combo Cleaner to catch anything one engine alone might miss.
Many email-borne trojans drop adware that hijacks browsers. Reset each browser you use:
Chrome: chrome://settings/reset → Restore settings to their original defaults. Then chrome://settings/content/notifications - remove unfamiliar sites.
Edge: edge://settings/reset. Then edge://settings/content/notifications.
Firefox: about:support → Refresh Firefox.
Open and confirm Real-time protection, Cloud-delivered protection, and Tamper Protection are all on. Then run and update browsers and applications.
If the scans keep finding new threats on each run, or files reappear after deletion, you may have a deeper compromise that needs a clean Windows reinstall. See pcrisk's full manual malware removal guide for the extended procedure (Process Explorer, Autoruns, hosts file inspection).
You entered credentials on a fake login page
Assume the attacker has your password and is using it right now. Speed matters.
- Change the password from a different, known-clean device (your phone is fine if it's not infected). Don't reuse the old password anywhere else.
- Enable two-factor authentication if you haven't already. Prefer an authenticator app or hardware key over SMS.
- Sign out of all sessions - most platforms have a "sign out everywhere" option in security settings, which kicks the attacker out.
- Review recent activity - look for unfamiliar logins, new devices, forwarding rules, or app permissions. Remove anything you don't recognize.
- Check your other accounts - if you reused that password anywhere else, change it there too. Check your exposure at haveibeenpwned.com.
- Update security questions - the attacker may have seen the answers in your account profile.
If you only have time to change one password, change your primary email password - it's the recovery hub for every other account. An attacker who controls your email can reset everything else.
You sent money or shared bank, card, or ID details
Time is the single biggest factor in recovering money. Banks can sometimes recall a wire or reverse a card transaction within the first few hours.
- Call your bank or card issuer immediately. Use the number on the back of the card, not any number from the scam email. Ask them to freeze the card, reverse the transaction if possible, and flag the account for fraud monitoring.
- If you sent a wire transfer or used a money-transfer service (Western Union, MoneyGram, Zelle, Wise), call them directly and request a recall. Some can be reversed within minutes if reported fast.
- If you sent cryptocurrency or gift cards, recovery is unlikely - but report it anyway, since law enforcement tracks these patterns.
- File a police report. You'll need the report number for any insurance, bank, or credit-bureau claim. Save the report number.
- File with the right authority for your country:
- US: ic3.gov + reportfraud.ftc.gov
- UK: reportfraud.police.uk (Report Fraud, the successor to Action Fraud; 0300 123 2040)
- Canada: antifraudcentre.ca
- Australia: scamwatch.gov.au
- EU: your national CERT or police cybercrime unit
- Set fraud alerts on all major credit bureaus if you shared any ID details. US: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. UK: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion (Cifas Protective Registration is a stronger option).
- Save all evidence - the original email (with full headers), screenshots of the fake site, transaction records, any phone numbers or chat logs.
Final scan and startup-app check
Reconnect to the network and run one final full scan with Combo Cleaner, followed by a Windows Defender quick scan. Then open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and switch to Startup apps - disable anything unfamiliar.
Make sure Windows, browsers, and any applications you use are fully up to date. The infection vector that worked on you once usually involves outdated software.
Monitor accounts and credit for 30 days
Most fraud follow-ups land in the first month. Until that window closes, keep watching:
- Bank and card statements - daily for the first week, then weekly
- Email - watch for password-reset confirmations or login alerts you didn't trigger
- Credit report - US: free at annualcreditreport.com; UK: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion all have free tiers
- Breach alerts - sign up at haveibeenpwned.com to be notified when your email appears in new leaks
If anything new appears in any of those, treat it as a continuing compromise: change passwords again, contact the bank again, and update the police report.
Important: If you didn't click anything, didn't reply, and didn't open any attachment, your computer is not infected - just delete the email and move on. If you opened an attachment or downloaded a file, run an automated scan with Combo Cleaner and Windows Defender and stop there. That path catches the vast majority of email-borne malware without the risk of breaking Windows by deleting the wrong file.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did I receive this email?
Spam emails are not personal. Cyber criminals distribute them in large-scale campaigns; hence, thousands of users receive identical letters.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have disclosed credentials, immediately change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support. If the provided information was of a different personal nature (e.g., credit card numbers, ID card details, etc.) - contact the relevant authorities without delay.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, simply reading a spam email will not result in a malware infection. The attachments and links present in these letters can cause infections when opened/clicked.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
That depends on the file and its purpose. There are several variants of the "U.S Department of Labor" scam emails. Some contain files that redirect users to phishing websites - hence, opening these will not trigger any infection processes. Other versions proliferate virulent files, and whether opening these will result in a system infection - relies on their formats. Executables can cause infections upon opening practically without fail. While documents (e.g., .doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) may require additional user interaction (e.g., macro command enablement) to start downloading/installing malware.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate almost all of the known malware infections. However, performing a full system scan is a must - since sophisticated malicious software hides deep within systems.
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Tomas Meskauskas
Expert security researcher, professional malware analyst
I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats.
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