Posted on 11/22/2016 7:40:46 AM PST by snarkpup
Office Depot has suspended PC Health Check – its malware-scanning service – after it was accused of lying about infections to push antivirus software.
Former Office Depot technician Shane Barnett told Seattle TV station KIRO 7 that the PC Health Check service would lie to customers that their otherwise-clean PCs were infected with malware, and that this was used to flog expensive disinfection tools. He claimed he was let go from his job because he refused to run the allegedly dodgy scanner on people's machines.
...
The station decided to investigate his claims and took six virgin PCs along to Office Depot stores in Oregon and Washington State, US. In four stores, their researchers were told there was a malware infection on the clean computers and were given a hard sell for cleanup services costing up to $180 to clean the "problems."
(Excerpt) Read more at theregister.co.uk ...
I never did trust office depot...and others
Antivirus software is now largely a ripoff. Windows Defender is free.
Actual journalism. I like it.
pING!...................
PRACTICALLY ALL THOSE ‘FREE’ PC CHECK-UP DOWNLOADS ARE LIARS.................JUST SO THEY CAN POSSIBLY SELL YOU SOME SOFTWARE THAT PROBABLY DOESN’T EVEN WORK MORE THAN A MONTH...................
Send in Liz Warren to scalp 'em after they've been bayonetted.
When did an investigation into fraudulent business practices become bayonetting the wounded? If they were defrauding their customers, the wounds were self-inflicted.
Yes...”free” kinda gives it away...
“Antivirus software is now largely a ripoff. Windows Defender is free.”
I operate a PC with the Windows 10 OP System and find that windows defender is not perfect at detecting or eliminating viruses that’s why I use Malwarebytes and the antivirus system that comes with my Zonealarm Extream internet security system.
No problem with viruses or Malware.
Malwarebytes also will block ransomware (for now).
Just don’t go to unknown websites. I learned the hard way.
i.e. if you need info on something youtube probably has it, and more.....
It is my belief that most free AV scanning programs will install the worst kind of virus — ads for their own software, some of which will slow or cripple your computer.
Yes, threats are usually malware now, viruses are rare. White list software like pcmatic is far better.
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