[RootbeaR]

Don't fall for bogus antivirus downloads
By Scott Dunn

"A new virus strain pretends to remove malware but actually does just the opposite: it infects your system.

Fortunately, you can use a few simple steps to tell the difference between these rogue antivirus programs and legitimate security software.

Antivirus apps may be malware in disguise "
http://WindowsSecrets.com/comp/080904

[Smurge Wurfler]

You can add to that anything calling itself Windows Privacy.
I have heard tales of people being asked to pay $50 - $70 and then finding up to $3000 taken from the credit card account.

[Blackmirror]

Anything that starts scanning your pc with out you asking it to and completing the scan in record time has to be bad
Also when you try to leave the page it will not let you close it

Alarm bells sound

[calvin-c]

Or, from my own experience (cleaning a friend's PC), any protection software labeled 'Vista' that runs on an XP machine.

It's probably just my skewed sense of humor, but I find it hilariious, RootBear, that you posted an article apparently by somebody else (hmm-that's an assumption since I don't know either your 'real' name nor that 'Scott Dunn' isn't a pseudonym) over a signature claiming that it's *your* intellectual property.

[RootbeaR]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

Or, from my own experience (cleaning a friend's PC), any protection software labeled 'Vista' that runs on an XP machine.

It's probably just my skewed sense of humor, but I find it hilariious, RootBear, that you posted an article apparently by somebody else (hmm-that's an assumption since I don't know either your 'real' name nor that 'Scott Dunn' isn't a pseudonym) over a signature claiming that it's *your* intellectual property.

It is still mine, I gave Scott his credit.

I use Linux. I really don't care about viruses(or anti-virus programs). Just passing along some news to maybe help some fellow humans.

Scott and I are two different people.





We all learn from someone. People are naturally mimics.
The oldest person here probably stood on two feet before the rest of us. Does that mean no one else can stand on two feet?

The sig is to make a point.
Very glad you see the humor as well.

[calvin-c]

Actually, I agree with your signature although not to the point of creating a similar one for myself. But your point about the first man to stand on two feet isn't quite right. If the first person to stand on two feet had asserted that he owned that ability because he'd invented it, then (under most intellectual property laws) that would mean that nobody else could do so. At least not without his explicit permission.

[Elvandil]

Originally Posted by Blackmirror

Anything that starts scanning your pc with out you asking it to and completing the scan in record time has to be bad
Also when you try to leave the page it will not let you close it

Alarm bells sound

I think that is exactly why a lot of people are getting infected; they don't know what to do when they can't close the window or leave the page. So they click "OK". I had it happen, and had a momentary sense of panic that I couldn't do anything with the browser. Then, the obvious solution popped into my mind--close the browser down completely. That's really all that needs to be done, but you have to do it from the context menu of the Taskbar, or with the Task Manager. I didn't try Alt+F4, but that may have worked, too.

[Blackmirror]

We need to educate
I have been redirected to various sites from Google and to a new computer user they look real

Scare tactics and something should be done IMO

[piano9playa5]

Usually, people get infected by their browser being redirected to the "WinantiVirusPro, WinFixer, XP Anti Virus 2008/2009" and similar pages. While their browser being redirected is not nessecarily a sign of being infected with "Rogue Anti Virus", it usually is an annoyance and a sign that something isn't right on your machine.
Fortunatly, most "Rogue Anti Virus" programs, can be PARTIALLY or MOSTLY removed with a scan from SUPERantispyware, or MalwareBytes' Anti Malware. However a post along with a HiJack This log in the Malware removal forum should be done before trying anything on you own.

[ferrija1]

Related: Rogue Anti-spyware apps.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_Antispyware