Boy tries to ransom his dad for more pocket money with WannaCry prank
It's not every day that you'll find a ransomware notice tacked to your door.
WannaCry -- the ransomware attack that shut down global systems over last weekend -- seems to have inspired a boy in Changzhou, a city in Jiangsu, east China, to hold his family's electricity supply to ransom.
The boy's father -- surnamed Gao -- reported the "hack" to the local power company on Tuesday (May 16), claiming that his smart meters had come under attack by WannaCry ransomware, reported The Paper.
He had came home to a ransom notice similar to what users in over 150 countries reported last week -- just that this time, it was printed on a piece of paper:
The message read: "Your smart meter has been infected by a worm, causing a blackout. This worm is different from other worms; you can try looking for ways to fix this online, but I can guarantee that without my help you still won't have any power!"
"I can help you resolve this through my service, and I attest by my honor that I will provide you with safe, effective electricity," it continues. "Of course, you'll have to give me money before sundown, if not the maintenance fee will be doubled."
A QR code, which linked to the boy's electronic wallet, was found on the back of the notice. The boy wasn't identified by media.
Electricians sent by the local power company determined that the home's central circuit breaker was switched off. While the home did use smart meters, they were not connected to the internet, reported The Paper.
Gao was noticeably angry at his son's scam, according to the electricians. "He's been asking me for more pocket money, I thought he was in a relationship so I didn't give it to him, and now he's thought of scamming money from me!" Gao was quoted as saying.
Weibo users were noticeably amused by the report:
LycheeGardenBirdWatcher: "I didn't think a virus could print out a notice and stick itself onto a door!"
SixSixSheSaid: "I thought this was The Onion -- it's actually real!"
PepperSpray said sarcastically: "It's real! My aircon's remote had the virus too!"
ChatLYD: "What an amateur -- you haven't even changed the English text on top, and you still think you can pull off a scam?"
(h/t South China Morning Post)
I am an intern with Mashable Asia, focusing on viral news, lifestyle news and feature news in the region.
