Fake Antivirus–XP Deluxe Protector, Antivirus 2009

All About Viruses

 Be careful of the fake antivirus malware going around the Internet.  These programs go by many different names, but the two I’ve seen a lot of lately are Antivirus 2009 and XP Deluxe Protector.   

This malware usually gets into your computer because of or with the Zlob and/or Vundo Trojans.  Once it’s inside your computer, you get multiple pop-ups telling you that your computer is infected, and you are urged to run a “free” virus scan. 

If you click to run the “free” scan, a fake scan window pops up that shows your computer is infected with many dangerous threats.  If you click to “remove” these threats, you are told that you have to purchase the full version for $49.99.  

Whether you click on the fake scan button or not, once you start seeing these pop-ups, the only way to make them stop is to remove the malware. 

One recent customer, unfortunately, thought he was purchasing legitimate antivirus software and gave these criminals his name, address and all of his credit card information.  So not only did this poor guy have a computer filled with malware, his credit card information was in the hands of criminals. 

If you click the button to “purchase” it, you are redirected to the website where the criminals do business. It’s not safe to go to these sites, as they are all corrupt.

To minimize your risk, don’t download anything online, or click on links in e-mails or on websites, unless you’re sure of where it’s coming from.  Keep your antivirus up-to-date and make sure it scans regularly.  Make sure you have all of the latest service packs and up-dates from Microsoft.

Glenn Caton–Computer Fixx