Rogue Security Software with a sense of humor? Or luring gone a (smart) step further?

26Dolphins · 02. Oct 2010, 04:58 PM

Hi,

Stumbled upon "Choose your FakeAV?" on SophosLabs blog today.
Troj/FakeAV-BTN presents a Microsoft Security Essentials like Alert, offers on line scanning with 32 different AV (sort of like VirusTotal), five of which are fakes. At the end it lets you choose the AV you prefer - amongst the fake ones, of course - to clear the infection, while none of the well known ones seem to able to clean it.
We all know how this ends if you do make a choice.

Rogue with a sense of humor? Or luring gone a smart step further?

Anupam · 02. Oct 2010, 09:04 PM

I think its the latter. These fake software are finding out new ways to lure people, and the sad thing is, they succeed. There are many novices/innocent people who are out there, who don't have much knowledge about these things and they get caught in the web of these fake software, and even lose their precious money, as well as get infected. Its sad to see such things happen.

Doobie · 02. Oct 2010, 09:17 PM

These fake AV scam artists make millions of dollars. On the bright side, most of this fake AV software isn't anything worse than slightly annoying if you're smart enough not to give strange software your credit card number.

But, that is pretty funny to let the user choose which fake software to install.

MidnightCowboy · 03. Oct 2010, 09:24 AM

I remember at one time when fake clothing first began to arrive which fell apart after the first wash. Now some of it is practically indistinguishable from the genuine article. Wonder how long it will be before one of these fake AV's actually "works" as good as what it's trying to imitate?

I certainly wouldn't recommend trying them all to find out

Concerned User · 03. Oct 2010, 02:10 PM

They have become very smart! A few weeks ago, I was browsing a couple of websites when all of a sudden, I got a browser window which said "your computer has been infected. Click here blah blah blah..". I was caught unawares but I did not do anything..I smiled

and closed the tab since I had read about rogueware like these.

Off topic:

One of my friends has an infected PC which is not connected to the net. I would like a portable application to remove the infections. Right now, I've only downloaded the Emisoft emergency kit. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Anupam · 03. Oct 2010, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Concerned User

Off topic:

One of my friends has an infected PC which is not connected to the net. I would like a portable application to remove the infections. Right now, I've only downloaded the Emisoft emergency kit. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

This requires a separate topic please, otherwise discussion here would go off into the other direction. Please post this as a separate topic.

Concerned User · 03. Oct 2010, 04:57 PM

Okay. I've done that. Thank you! Sorry for the thread hijack

Anupam · 03. Oct 2010, 05:15 PM

No problem, and thanks for the co-operation

.

02. Oct 2010, 04:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
26Dolphins Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 440	Rogue Security Software with a sense of humor? Or luring gone a (smart) step further? Hi, Stumbled upon "Choose your FakeAV?" on SophosLabs blog today. Troj/FakeAV-BTN presents a Microsoft Security Essentials like Alert, offers on line scanning with 32 different AV (sort of like VirusTotal), five of which are fakes. At the end it lets you choose the AV you prefer - amongst the fake ones, of course - to clear the infection, while none of the well known ones seem to able to clean it. We all know how this ends if you do make a choice. Rogue with a sense of humor? Or luring gone a smart step further? __________________ 26Dolphins

02. Oct 2010, 09:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
Anupam Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 9,484	I think its the latter. These fake software are finding out new ways to lure people, and the sad thing is, they succeed. There are many novices/innocent people who are out there, who don't have much knowledge about these things and they get caught in the web of these fake software, and even lose their precious money, as well as get infected. Its sad to see such things happen. __________________ Anupam

03. Oct 2010, 09:24 AM	#4 (permalink)
MidnightCowboy Site Manager Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: South American Banana Republic, third bunch from the left Posts: 9,250	I remember at one time when fake clothing first began to arrive which fell apart after the first wash. Now some of it is practically indistinguishable from the genuine article. Wonder how long it will be before one of these fake AV's actually "works" as good as what it's trying to imitate? I certainly wouldn't recommend trying them all to find out __________________ Knows nothing and cares even less

03. Oct 2010, 05:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
Anupam Moderator Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 9,484	No problem, and thanks for the co-operation . __________________ Anupam

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02. Oct 2010, 09:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
Doobie Full Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 39	These fake AV scam artists make millions of dollars. On the bright side, most of this fake AV software isn't anything worse than slightly annoying if you're smart enough not to give strange software your credit card number. But, that is pretty funny to let the user choose which fake software to install.

03. Oct 2010, 02:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
Concerned User Editor Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: இந்தியா, सिन्धु, India Posts: 324	They have become very smart! A few weeks ago, I was browsing a couple of websites when all of a sudden, I got a browser window which said "your computer has been infected. Click here blah blah blah..". I was caught unawares but I did not do anything..I smiled and closed the tab since I had read about rogueware like these. Off topic: One of my friends has an infected PC which is not connected to the net. I would like a portable application to remove the infections. Right now, I've only downloaded the Emisoft emergency kit. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

03. Oct 2010, 04:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
Concerned User Editor Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: இந்தியா, सिन्धु, India Posts: 324	Okay. I've done that. Thank you! Sorry for the thread hijack