Posted on 10/19/2009 5:24:55 AM PDT by markomalley
Online criminals are making millions of pounds by convincing computer users to download fake anti-virus software, internet security experts claim.
Symantec says more than 40 million people have fallen victim to the "scareware" scam in the past 12 months.
The download is usually harmful and criminals can sometimes use it to get the victim's credit card details.
The firm has identified 250 versions of scareware, and criminals are thought to earn more than £750,000 each a year.
Franchised out
Scareware sellers use pop-up adverts deliberately designed to look legitimate, for example, using the same typefaces as Microsoft and other well-known software providers.
They appear, often when the user is switching between websites, and falsely warn that a computer's security has been compromised.
If the user then clicks on the message they are directed towards another site where they can download the fake anti-virus software they supposedly need to clean up their computer - for a fee of up to £60.
(snip)
He added: "They used to be 16-year-olds in their bedrooms causing damage with viruses. Now those 16-year-olds have grown up [and] they're looking for money, they're looking for information."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Hard to convince some folks that snake-oil salesmen still exist.
Most of those pop ups are on EMail sites...
They hit my computer a couple weeks ago and I had a tough time getting rid of them. Coincidence, or not, someone started charging my Visa card at about the same time.
It did. Couldn't do anything without this “anti virus program” warning about other viruses. Luckily I had run into this before with my son's computer.
The solution is to download Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php install it on all your computers and do the update. If “Antivirus System PRO” takes over your computer you won't be able to get on the Internet to download it then.
Good luck.
Malwarebytes = good recommendation. Worked for me as well.
I’ll admit to being a soft-on-crime hippie wimp — care should be taken to insure that the perpetrators’ public executions are quick and painless.
ping
Might I ask what is being done to stop it?
What fine or imprisonment do these thieves get?
They should be easy to track, since they are putting a program out there to be downloaded, why isnt the law after them?
I am betting there isnt anything being done.
Nope. There are lots of very effective ways to hide, or to point the finger at someone else (misdirection).
There's lots being done, partly by private individuals, partly by companies, partly by the law; but it's a cat-and-mouse game where the perps are constantly shifting place and strategy. It really is extraordinarily difficult to identify and catch the buggers, much less bring them to justice. But it does happen.
Of course there's an unending supply of highly motivated buggers...
very stubborn infections were not repaired by www.malwarebytes.com or www.superantispyware.com on several pcs for me..
I loaded the older “windows defender” from the microsoft website, and then all the cleaners could work properly.
Seems like the only pcs infected were the ones without all the recent windows updates and SP3 (xp)
Malwarebytes! Spent many many weekend days cleaning family computers due to these scareware tactics.
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