Fake video files from the web requesting to download codecs

Hey there
I’ve now encountered this twice.
I search google or torrent sites for a certain video, I find it, I download it, the size looks correct to the length of the video, then it don’t play on any of my media players. Both were in wmv format.
There is a text file attached in the rar file saying that the file should play on the latest windows media player (I don’t have the latest WMP, and I’m running XP), and that if it doesn’t you must just download the codecs.
I am under the suspition that the video file is fake, I’m I right?
Doesn’t VLC support all wmv codecs currently?
Answer #1
there fake as
Answer #2
Three possibilities.
Fake – to get you to download for money or points (not applying for torrent download?)
Fake – a real movie encoded in a weird codec which is itself the virus.
Real – but coded in a new version of a codec.
Before you delete try two more players, SMPlayer (mencoder based, plays 99.9% of anything) and Mulder’s MPlayer (same base, different front end).
If both fail, chalk it up to experience and delete them.
Answer #3
Use PotPlayer
Answer #4
Simple way : Download videos or movies after reading comments…..
Answer #5
Those video’s are most probably fake and might be engineered to coerce you in to downloading a malware to gain something (like extort money for removal of the said malware, for identity and credit card credential theft, etcetera).
To prevent such issues, I suggest you download from reputed sources, read the comments if any, and check the file type. Most video encoders of repute tend to stick to AVI, MP4 and/or MKV containers with H.264/AAC or XviD/MP3 encoding. WMV containers usually arouse suspicion as they are not the standard for encodes (even pirates have to conform to certain ‘scene’ standards).
Plus, I recommend you use players like Media Player Classic – Home Cinema, VLC, PotPlayer, SMPlayer or the likes, irrespective of what the fake video says, as they are less susceptible to hijacking than Windows Media Player (which has this annoying feature of connecting to the web to automatically download codecs, which in this case, might be a cleverly crafted malware disguised as a codec).
Personally, I would recommend MPC-HC over other players due to it being really light on resources and also being one of the most feature-rich at the same time.
http://www.xvidvideo.ru/media-player-classic-home-cinema-x86-x64/
Hope this helps. Cheers, mate.
Answer #6
thanks for the replies. I used all the other various players, and the video is FAKE… I from now on, wait for comments before downloading the video from an unreliable source!
I chalk up the 2 fake downloaded videos to experience!
thanks for all your help! U guys rock!