Scareware is a fake sales tactic that tricks users into believing their computer has errors or viruses that require immediate fixing. Scareware ads offer downloadable software, which can be harmless or contain malware. Microsoft has sued scareware companies, and users can avoid being targeted by using pop-up blockers and reputable scanners. Legitimate programs will identify themselves in alert pop-ups. Windows Automatic Update is free and from Microsoft.
Scareware refers to bogus sales tactics designed to scare a user into believing that their computer contains critical errors or viruses that need to be fixed immediately. For a price, scareware ads offer an instant fix in the form of downloadable software. In some cases this software is harmless, in other cases the software intended to fix non-existent errors is actually spyware or some form of malware itself, affecting consumers twice.
A scareware ad could appear at any time while browsing the web. The ad may look like a Microsoft window or it may activate a real window, leading people to believe that the message was generated by their operating system. The pop-up warns the user that their computer is compromised in one or more ways and requires a fix. The alert could mention viruses or system errors such as registry errors. Clicking an “OK” button will take the user to the download site to purchase the “fix”.
Regular scanning with legitimate software is part of routine computer maintenance. Registry scanners will look for orphaned pointers, missing values, uninstalled leftovers, and other bad data bits that can slow performance. Many websites use online scanners that scour the visitor log for problems. Registry problems can be found in almost any scan, and most errors don’t amount to much more than maintenance. Websites dedicated to selling scareware use online scanners that will report non-existent problems presenting them as extremely critical, urging the victim to purchase software to avoid a certain disaster.
Microsoft Corp. has little tolerance for scareware tactics that reflect poorly on its operating systems (OS), making them appear more vulnerable than they actually are. In 2005, Microsoft joined forces with the state of Washington to sue Secure Computer for Spyware Cleaner, scareware that falsely reported the presence of spyware. The lawsuit cost Secure Computer one million US dollars. In September 2008, the software giant joined forces with Washington once again to name several alleged scareware companies in a similar scareware lawsuit.
To avoid being targeted by scareware companies, use a pop-up blocker that is configured to block third-party sites. If you are using XP SP1, upgrade to SP2 or disable Windows Messenger (versus Windows Live Messenger), as this can be an entry point for malicious scripts. If you want to use an online scanner, seek recommendations from reputable sources like PCWorld or Tom’s Hardware. Better yet, download a reputable scanner and use it from your hard drive. If you practice good maintenance habits and have your usual security programs running, you have no reason to fear infections or errors.
If a popup occurs, it should be generated by one of your installed programs. Firewalls, anti-virus programs, anti-spyware programs, and registry cleaners all use alert pop-up windows that include the program name to identify which software program is sending alerts. If the pop-up is an actual Windows system alert, it will likely just warn that a program needs to close or that some unexpected function has occurred. These are informational rather than “healing” pop-ups. Windows Automatic Update, if enabled, may prompt the user to download a patch or update, but the patch should be from Microsoft, free of charge.
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