In the past two months, fake antivirus scareware has morphed into variants pretending to be generic security products, disk utilities and the trusty hard disk defrag tool, according to various security researchers. The trend is picking up, but it is "not yet as popular as they will become," according to ESET’s Rand Abrams. Despite the similarities in the fake utilities’ user interface, "there isn’t [just] one group creating these rogue security products," said Tom Kelchner of GFI Labs. He said the scammers are switching the look in order to fool the antivirus vendors and victims. According to Juraj Malcho, head of ESET virus lab, cleaners and performance boosters have been around as far back as 2008. But the variants with the updated look have become "more popular" recently. While the prices for these utilities range from about $40 to $80, there is a hidden, potentially catastrophic, cost as the user is handing over the credit card information to criminals. If any of the screens in the eWEEK slide show look familiar, the researchers at GFI have identified many of the variants and posted detailed removal instructions on their Rogue AntiSpyware blog. The following images were provided by GFI Labs.
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10 Phony Scareware Variants Scammers Use to Steal Your Money
by Fahmida Y Rashid
The Familiar, Trusty Disk Utility Tool
Known variants of these fake tools include HDD Diagnostic, HDD Repair, HDD Rescue, HDD Plus, Smart HDD, ScanDisk, and Win HDD. The fake disk scanner claims to check for read/write errors, file integrity, registry errors, and "outdated and missing drivers."
The Doctor Is In
Another disk utility tool, it’s not as fancy or as jam packed with information as the others. Its name plays upon the legitimate, trusted utilities like Norton Disk Doctor.
Defrag that Drive
The defragmentation screen looks quite similar to the Windows Disk Defragmenter tool. Note how the fake utility claims to run in "Safemode" to trick the user into thinking it’s actually doing something helpful.
The Defrag Window
With large storage capacities and fast computers, it’s no longer that critical to defragment the hard drive. Even so, fake utilities with names like Ultra Defragger and Defragmenter still trick users into thinking they need it, especially home users working with older, slower computers.
Fake Antivirus Tries to Sell Another Fake Utility
ThinkPoint’s delivery mechanism depends on the a fake Microsoft Security Essential clone. While scanning, the fake AV throws a warning that there are other issues on the computer, and prompts the user to download ThinkPoint to fix the "problems."
All-in-One Security
Instead of just focusing on one PC management task, this version promises it all: license management, internet and system security, disk utilities, and checking for updates. Known variants: PC Optimizer, PC Protection Center, Privacy Corrector, and Privacy Guard.
Pay Up to Clean Up
Payment screens vary, but they all ask for credit card information before fixing the "found" issues. Check out those holiday deals and offers to provide lifetime support. The MasterCard and Visa logos are perfectly legit, since yes, scammers will accept credit cards, but don’t link back to the credit card company’s legitimate sites.
A Less Overwhelming All-In-One
This phony All-In-One security pitch is less overwhelming in its layout, but the goal is the same. It offers to do everything you would conceivably need. Note the tiny link to Microsoft’s "Online Safety and Privacy Education" page on the lower left. It is a real link, and adds a touch of legitimacy to the fake software, said GFI’s Adam Thomas.
The Original Fake Software
Fake Antivirus continues to be a big money-maker, with new variants popping up everyday. The name here evokes the real Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus, but this version is entirely a scam.
The Helpful Antivirus
This fake security utility, Antivirus 2010, is so smart it detects hacking attempts real-time, but it will prevent the attack only if the user upgrades to a paid version. Listing the "attacking" IP address is a nice touch, as it’s assigned to "Network Information Center Mexico" according to the RIPE database.
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In the past two months, fake antivirus scareware has morphed into variants pretending to be generic security products, disk utilities and the trusty hard disk defrag tool, according to various security researchers. The trend is picking up, but it is "not yet as popular as they will become," according to ESET’s Rand Abrams. Despite the similarities in the fake utilities’ user interface, "there isn’t [just] one group creating these rogue security products," said Tom Kelchner of GFI Labs. He said the scammers are switching the look in order to fool the antivirus vendors and victims. According to Juraj Malcho, head of ESET virus lab, cleaners and performance boosters have been around as far back as 2008. But the variants with the updated look have become "more popular" recently. While the prices for these utilities range from about $40 to $80, there is a hidden, potentially catastrophic, cost as the user is handing over the credit card information to criminals. If any of the screens in the eWEEK slide show look familiar, the researchers at GFI have identified many of the variants and posted detailed removal instructions on their Rogue AntiSpyware blog. The following images were provided by GFI Labs.