Rogue Security Application: Fake Virus Scans

Rogue security applications will conduct fake antivirus scans and show fake virus related pop ups to scare the user into purchasing the program. The program itself is fake; the program hopes to sell a fake program to a user.

Below is a scan done on a new computer. However, in this case, it found 10 viruses!

Below is a fake virus warning:

fake

However, it is important to distinguish between fake viruses and real viruses. The easiest way to check whether or not a file is a computer virus is by submitting it to virustotal.com.

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below. Your comments are both useful to visitors and to us.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, September 20th, 2009 at 5:29 pm and is filed under Malware Removal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

19 Responses to “Rogue Security Application: Fake Virus Scans”

Alpha Antivirus / AlphaAntivirus Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru September 25th, 2009 at 12:47 pm

[...] program. Alpha Antivirus hopes to also scare the user into purchasing the program by displaying fake virus scan results. Alpha Antivirus is fake and doesn’t [...]

Security Tool / SecurityTool Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru September 25th, 2009 at 11:06 pm

[...] methods. Security Tool hopes to also scare the user into purchasing the program by displaying fake virus scan results. Security Tool is fake and doesn’t [...]

Control Center / ControlCenter Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru January 23rd, 2010 at 1:30 am

[...] 1. Control Center is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse. 2. Control Center uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Control Center website is unprofessional, with fake testimonials and fake awards. 4. The payment [...]

Your PC Protector (YourPCProtector) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru February 3rd, 2010 at 6:11 pm

[...] 1. Your PC Protector is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse. 2. Your PC Protector uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Your PC Protector website is unprofessional, with fake testimonials and fake awards. 4. The [...]

Vista Antispyware 2010 (VistaAntispyware2010) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru February 15th, 2010 at 5:10 am

[...] 1. Vista Antispyware 2010 is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse. 2. Vista Antispyware 2010 uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Vista Antispyware 2010 website is unprofessional, with fake testimonials and fake awards. 4. The [...]

Win 7 Antispyware 2010 (Win7 Antispyware 2010) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru February 15th, 2010 at 9:35 am

[...] 1. Win 7 Antispyware 2010 is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse. 2. Win 7 Antispyware 2010 uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Win 7 Antispyware 2010 website is unprofessional, with fake testimonials and fake awards. 4. The [...]

Personal Security / PersonalSecurity Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru March 3rd, 2010 at 3:19 pm

[...] 1. Personal Security is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse. 2. Personal Security uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Personal Security website is unprofessional, with fake testimonials and fake awards. 4. The [...]

XP Antispyware 2010 (XPAntispyware2010) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru March 8th, 2010 at 7:55 pm

[...] 1. XP Antispyware 2010 is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse. 2. XP Antispyware 2010 uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

Vista Antivirus Pro 2010 Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru March 10th, 2010 at 8:32 pm

[...] Vista Antivirus Pro 2010 is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse. 2. Vista Antivirus Pro 2010 uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

Vista Defender Pro (VistaDefenderPro) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru March 20th, 2010 at 8:38 pm

[...] security programs include: 1. Vista Defender Pro is generally installed without user permission. 2. Vista Defender Pro uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

Vista AntiMalware 2010 (VistaAntiMalware2010) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru March 23rd, 2010 at 3:41 am

[...] programs include: 1. Vista AntiMalware 2010 is generally installed without user permission. 2. Vista AntiMalware 2010 uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

Total Vista Security (TotalVistaSecurity) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru March 23rd, 2010 at 7:40 pm

[...] programs include: 1. Total Vista Security is generally installed without user permission. 2. Total Vista Security uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

Antivirus Suite (AntivirusSuite) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru April 11th, 2010 at 5:34 pm

[...] security programs include: 1. Antivirus Suite is generally installed without user permission. 2. Antivirus Suite uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

Antispyware Soft (AntispywareSoft) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru May 1st, 2010 at 10:30 pm

[...] security programs include: 1. Antispyware Soft is generally installed without user permission. 2. Antispyware Soft uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

Security Essentials 2010 (SecurityEssentials2010) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru May 13th, 2010 at 1:22 pm

[...] Security Essentials 2010 is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse. 2. Security Essentials 2010 uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

AV Security Suite (AVSecuritySuite) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru June 3rd, 2010 at 4:57 pm

[...] security programs include: 1. AV Security Suite is generally installed without user permission. 2. AV Security Suite uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

ashley June 19th, 2010 at 4:38 am

im having this av fake virus thing, it wont let me run anything! says everything is infected can’t run msconfig or task manager. i currently have avg and spybot. i thought they were the best guess, i downloaded mbam and i am going to reboot in safe mode. gosh i hope it works help!!

Defense Center (DefenseCenter) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru July 14th, 2010 at 3:37 pm

[...] security programs include: 1. Defense Center is generally installed without user permission. 2. Defense Center uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]

Security Suite (SecuritySuite) Virus Removal Guide | Virus Removal Guru August 14th, 2010 at 2:45 pm

[...] security programs include: 1. Security Suite is generally installed without user permission. 2. Security Suite uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user. 3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop [...]