Shields Up!: The 34 million dollar per month scam

Almost everyone has run across it and perhaps some of you have fallen for it – rogue anti-virus programs. Also known as scareware, these programs are infesting the net, and researchers say they net the scammers behind them a staggering $34 million a month. They work very simply, either a site redirect or a pop up informs the victim that they might be infected with malware, and then begins a fake “scan” of their computer, revealing a plethora of fake infections. The site then tells the now startled and probably worried victim that their software can take care of it for them for just $30. So the victim downloads a fake program, pays and watches as it “removes” the fake infections it found. The scammer just made $30 and the victim is relieved that the infections (which they never really had) are gone. It’s sort of a high tech version of a snake oil salesman.