Malware Distributors and Virus Creators keep looking for different ways to distribute their stuff on everyone’s computers and out of all these one of the best working method is distributing Anti-virus Software which is actually a fake software. This method is said to be one of the best methods to infect others computers because users keep searching for free anti-virus software’s and when they find any of these, they would just move forward for a quick installation of the same. These Software’s would perform everything as mentioned in their installation features except actually scanning your computer and removing the virus from it. Next once installed the software would start reporting you regularly with virus infection alerts, parasite infection on the PC, system scan results which are bogus and show you fake security alerts which can easily make any computer user become more serious towards the wrong alerts.
Once the user gives more attention towards the fake alerts they receive, these software’s would recommend them to upgrade for the Paid version of their software. In short making it a very easy way to sell their useless applications to the users by playing with their emotions. The actual sales would be real high because when someone is notified that unless they don’t purchase the paid version of the software, all the data on their Hard Disk Drive would be lost or get corrupted, hence the normal computer owners would not mind paying a amount of 25 – 50$ range for these kind of tricky applications.
These software’s are distributed through different websites and blogs on the Internet in the form of free scanning tools which computer users instantly download without verifying their source nor the installation files and get duped with the Fake Anti-Virus (Fake AV) products. They create false alarms on the users computer and instruct the users to upgrade for keeping their computers secure and safe which is only possible by paying some amount of money to these scammer’s. We have previously seen the trend of Nigerian Email Scammers but these days the Fake Software Distribution Scam is a better way to make money without the need of interacting with the users and still getting money out of them who are worried on the risk of loosing their important data stored in their computer.
List of Fake Anti-virus Software’s : – Here is a large list of different software’s which are currently available online scamming different people on the brand names. Make a note of this list and try to ignore the downloads of these to the maximum extent possible.
1. Antivirus 7
2. CleanUp Antivirus
3. Security Central
4. Security Antivirus
5. Total PC Defender 2010
6. Vista Antivirus Pro 2010
7. Your PC Protector
8. Vista Internet Security 2010
9. XP Guardian
10. Vista Guardian 2010
11. Antivirus Soft
12. XP Internet Security 2010
13. Antivir 2010
14. Live PC Care
15. Malware Defense
16. Internet Security 2010
17. Desktop Defender 2010
18. Security Tool
19. Antivirus Live
20. Personal Security
21. Cyber Security
22. Alpha Antivirus
23. Windows Enterprise Suite
24. Security Center
25. Control Center
26. Braviax
27. Windows Police Pro
28. Antivirus Pro 2010
29. PC Antispyware 2010
30. FraudTool.MalwareProtector.d
31. Winshield2009.com
32. Green AV
33. Windows Protection Suite
34. Total Security 2009
35. Windows System Suite
36. Antivirus BEST
37. System Security
38. Personal Antivirus
39. System Security 2009
40. Malware Doctor
41. Antivirus System Pro
42. WinPC Defender
43. Anti-Virus-1
44. Spyware Guard 2008
45. System Guard 2009
46. Antivirus 2009
47. Antivirus 2010
48. Antivirus Pro 2009
49. Antivirus 360
50. MS Antispyware 2009
51. IGuardPC or I Guard PC
52. Additional Guard
How to Protect from Fake Anti-Virus Software’s : Its possible to stay protected from these scams by not downloading any of the above listed software’s to your computer and also making sure that you download only Legit Software’s. Next you need to download and install this Remove Fake Antivirus Software which is a freeware application to remove all the Trojan’s and Viruses from your computer.
Finally its recommended to only install any of the following Free Antivirus Applications which are the best ones in Removing malware from your computer and keep your computer secured.
Dear Sir
I am a regular reader of your very useful and interesting articles on different topics. I do agree with you on Fake AV applications. You have not anything about mentioned AVAST antivirus. Is this not a standard application. Kindly enlighten me on this and AVG AV also.
Regards.
Mandeep Singh