 |
Spyware Warrior
Help with Spyware, Hijacking & Other Internet Nuisances
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
suzi
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Last Visit: 24 May 2013
Posts: 10271
Location: sunny California
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:51 am Post subject: FTC stops WinFixer, WinAntivirus and friends |
 |
|
Hot off the wire from the FTC.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2008/12/winsoftware.shtm
| Quote: |
For Release: December 10, 2008
Court Halts Bogus Computer Scans
At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a U.S. district court has issued a temporary halt to a massive “scareware” scheme, which falsely claimed that scans had detected viruses, spyware, and illegal pornography on consumers’ computers. According to the FTC, the scheme has tricked more than one million consumers into buying computer security products such as WinFixer, WinAntivirus, DriveCleaner, ErrorSafe, and XP Antivirus. The court also froze the assets of those responsible for the scheme, to preserve the possibility of providing consumers with monetary redress.
According to the FTC’s complaint, the defendants used an elaborate ruse that duped Internet advertising networks and popular Web sites into carrying their advertisements. The defendants falsely claimed that they were placing Internet advertisements on behalf of legitimate companies and organizations. But due to hidden programming code that the defendants inserted into the advertisements, consumers who visited Web sites where these ads were placed did not receive them. Instead, consumers received exploitive advertisements that took them to one of the defendants’ Web sites. These sites would then claim to scan the consumers’ computers for security and privacy issues. The “scans” would find a host of purported problems with the consumers’ computers and urge them to buy the defendants’ computer security products for $39.95 or more. However, the scans were entirely false.
According to the complaint, the two companies charged in the case – Innovative Marketing, Inc. and ByteHosting Internet Services, LLC – operate using a variety of aliases and maintain offices in various countries. Innovative Marketing is a company incorporated in Belize that maintains offices in Kiev, Ukraine. ByteHosting Internet Services is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. |
More info in the article.
And more documents here:
http://ftc.gov/os/caselist/0723137/index.shtm
Cheers!
Edit.. this documment is particularly interesting because it has a breakdown of their operations... how they did it.
http://ftc.gov/os/caselist/0723137/081202innovativemrktgcmplt.pdf
_________________
Former Microsoft MVP 2005-2009, Consumer Security
Please do not PM or Email me for personal support. Post in the Forums instead and we will all learn.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Proactive Services
Security Expert
Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Last Visit: 24 Jun 2009
Posts: 169
Location: Hampshire, UK
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 7:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
A worthy Christmas present! Nice to see that the larger authorities are stepping up to the challenge of dealing with this. Thee cheers are in order I think!
_________________
Adam Piggott, Proprietor, Proactive Services (Computing)
Professional, friendly computer support in Hampshire, UK. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
trickyricky
Warrior
Joined: 14 Dec 2004
Last Visit: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 192
Location: London, UK
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:00 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Excellent, and not before time. I actually went to a client this morning to remove one of their "innovative" products, so reading this was very welcome indeed. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
datababe
Warrior
Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Last Visit: 10 Oct 2012
Posts: 217
Location: Inside your head
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
suzi
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Last Visit: 24 May 2013
Posts: 10271
Location: sunny California
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Wow...
| Quote: |
| A federal judge has fined a Belize-based company $8,000 for each day it continues to flout his order to halt a major internet operation alleged to have duped more than 1 million computer users into buying bogus malware protection. |
Hehe.. that will add up quickly. 
_________________
Former Microsoft MVP 2005-2009, Consumer Security
Please do not PM or Email me for personal support. Post in the Forums instead and we will all learn. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
smartBlue Style © 2002 Smartor
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
