I just lost my computer to these evil bast*ards. I ended up hijacked to about.com. As I began running spyware, adware, & malware programs to clean the machine (one program alone found over 189 pieces of malicious programs & registry entries!) my computer became more & more unstable. At one point, the video began to flash (like it was trying to refesh itself) which prevented me from navigating by mouse. I finally found, quarantined, & deleted a program called "lexplore" which is the Sodabot virus. This gave me back SOME functionality, but most of my Microsoft programs had been uninstalled or disabled. Control Panel, for instance, was gone completely. I can't say for a certainty how my machine was infected, but I don't think it's a coincidence that I had just finished downloading Windows & Explorer updates. I am thus assuming that the Microsoft server was compromised.
Computer is now with my Geek getting a fresh install of everything right down to the OS & that's going to cost me, bigtime. Why is it that we can't go after the companies who benefit from hijacking through class action lawsuits or even under the RICO laws of the U.S.? I understand having no recourse for companies licensed & located outside the U.S., but there's a lot of U.S. companies that obviously stand to benefit from this malicious invasion. One would have to be a complete idiot to believe that sites like about.com aren't complicit in these attacks.