Scammed by a Rogue Anti-Spyware Program?

Has this scenario happened to you?

Average Joe (a.k.a. Internet Victim) says:

"I kept getting pop ups that said that my computer has malware. Since I was eager to fix the problem, I clicked OK on the popup alert to get the solution. Because of the pop up, I ended up downloading a program that costs me about $60. Since I've downloaded the program, accessing e-mails or anything on my PC is not possible. I've tried emailing and even calling whoever the makers are several times to cancel the order but cannot get through to anyone. Now they have my credit card number and my computer is messed up. What do I do?"

Don't get tricked by bogus anti-spyware programs.

Here are the dead giveaway signs you've been scammed by a rogue anti-spyware program or anti-registry cleaner:

  1. Many rogue anti-spyware programs display pop up ads that may look like a Windows system alert, install malicious software (trojans or other types of malware) and repeatedly prompt the user to pay for the full-version of the program. Popups and alert messages may continue to come up even after running the repair or fix feature on the new spyware program.
  2. The use of malicious Trojan horse programs to force installation and make rogue anti-spyware programs difficult to remove. Every installed software should be visible in the Windows "Add or Remove Programs" control panel and/or have its own "Uninstall" icon available in the program's folder or in the Start Menu. If the user does not have the ability to uninstall the program throught conventional means, then the software is definetly a questionable utility.
  3. Another red flag is after installing a rogue anti-spyware application is that it may disrupt normal computer functionalities like disable other programs or processes. Many rogue anti-spyware programs use Trojans and Remote Administration Tools (RATs) to allow remote hackers access to the user's computer via the Internet and cause a shutdown or restart.
  4. Rogue anti-spyware programs displays false positives with each computer scan as a way to alarm the user into purchasing the program. A false positive is a fake spyware detection in a computer scan.
  5. Unauthorized bogus and/or illegal charges in a short period of time appear on the users credit card statements. Sometimes the rogue anti-spyware program will say on the purchase page a certain amount, then when the user buys the program it charges a different amount on the credit card. Eventually, the user will have to cancel the credit card that was used to purchase the malicious software.

To see what a rogue anti-spyware program looks like and how it behaves, check out the video below:

Anybody who has been scammed by a rogue anti-spyware program you're not alone! Share your story and we can all learn from our mistakes. Which rogue anti-spyware program were you scammed by?

Post your comments below.

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