Taking over or hacking of data is not something new in the cybercrime world, but a new trojan has been floating around that can attack computers in a way which might just leave the victim totally unaware of any scams.

“When the W32/DatCrypt Trojan infects a computer, it makes it seem as if some files, such as Microsoft Office documents, video, music and image files have been “corrupted”, when the files have in fact been encrypted by DatCrypt. Next the Trojan creates what looks like an authentic message from Windows, advising the user to download and execute the “recommended file repair software” called Data Doctor 2010″, said Wing Fei Chia, Senior Manager – Security Response, Security Lab at F-Secure APAC.

Once the recommended utility is downloaded and executed, users are faced with a message that says that it can “only repair one file in unregistered version”. In order to take care of other files, users have to purchase the complete product for US$89.95, and after the transaction is complete, the access to the files is actually returned.

Experts have called this Trojan “devious”, which works by tricking customers into believing that they have gained access to their files back, without realizing that they have actually paid a “ransom” for their won data.

F-Secure has now recommended users to store all their important data somewhere else, where the Trojan cannot access them, like on removable media or online resources which back the data.