Antivirus 2010: A New Low In Fake Antivirus
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

From the malcontents who bring us fake antivirus software comes "Antivirus 2010," a Windows scam so sneaky it puts its predecessors to shame. It looks horrifyingly realistic (see screenshots) and it goes all-out in pretending to be legit:

  • Mimics Windows' own Security Center with warnings to register the fake software

  • Mimics Internet Explorer errors to imply you need the fake software before you can visit web sites

  • Mimics Windows startup screens to imply you can't start your computer without registering the fake software

  • Creates phony errors in Windows to imply your computer is unusable without the fake software

  • Pretends to find and fix problems that aren't present on your computer

  • Offers a realistic-looking web site for download and registration
and the topper, in case you try to Google it to see if it's real:

  • Redirects your machine to fake web sites with fake reviews extolling the fake software!
Antivirus 2010 is showing up everywhere from sponsored Google links to MySpace comments, so be sure you're running legitimate antivirus programs and don't forget to subscribe to Tech Tips for the latest computer news.

Posted byTriona Guidry at 4:30 PM  

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