14 DAY TRIAL // Back in 2010, after an angry father sent out a video message to those harassing his 11-year-old daughter online, three memes were born: “You dun Goofed,” “Consequences will never be the same” and “Cyber Police.”
Now, a police badge inspired by these memes is being used by cybercriminals who try to trick Internet users into paying them a so-called fine with the aid of ransomware.
The ransomware itself, analyzed by ThreatTrack Security, is not out of the ordinary. It locks up infected computers and demands the payment of a fine to have it unlocked.
However, the lock screen displays a badge of the “Cyber Police.” You can clearly see that the motto on the badge reads “Consequences will never be the same.”
It’s uncertain if the cybercriminals behind this ransomware used the police badge without realizing that it was inspired from a meme, or if they used it on purpose as a joke.