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Macropay Scam Alert: Fake Antivirus Software

The digital space has a lot of vulnerabilities. These can be exploited to expose the internet user to a lot of cyberattacks. Let’s look at a few facts about fake antivirus software in this Macropay scam alert.

With the use of Trojans, worms, and viruses, fraudsters work tirelessly to gain access to sensitive data of individuals that they can use to carry out a host of malicious activities.

To prevent cybercriminals from extracting your personal information to serve their illegal purpose, you can install antivirus software on your computer. However, it would seem that as the technologies developed to keep scammers at bay evolve, so does the fake antivirus software created by criminals.

What is a Fake Antivirus Software?

Rogue antivirus software intercepts the processes of users and obtains their private data. Cybercriminals build this kind of fake antivirus software. Put simply, these systems claim to offer security, but their operations say otherwise.

Criminals achieve this by either modifying legitimate antivirus software or building a new one. This can be done by duplicating the features, appearance, and even the name of well-known antivirus software or by building an entirely new one that is relatively obscure but designed to look trustworthy.

Sometimes, cybercriminals build fake antivirus software to employ a scare tactic where they deceive the user into paying for additional software or an upgrade that is supposed to help them eliminate the threat of viruses.

How to identify a Fake Antivirus Software

There are a few pointers on how to spot fake or tampered-with antivirus software.

Torrent Sites and Cracked Versions

Torrent sites are leading sources of viruses in most cyberattacks.  Downloading your antivirus software from these sites is one way to introduce this malware into your computer. They either claim to have detected viruses that are not there or introduce one of their own thereby, corrupting your files.

Pop-Up Alerts

While using the internet, you can receive pop-up alert messages telling you about viruses that have been discovered on your computer. This message will further instruct you to click on a particular button to install antivirus software that will wade off those viruses.

Such a pop-up message is most likely a link to fake antivirus software that will be used to extract your data upon installation. Such messages prey on the panic of the unsuspecting internet user and an almost non-existent knowledge of cybersecurity.

Processor Challenges

After the installation of fake antivirus software, the regular processes of your device could be slowed, your browser homepage changed, and you keep getting a redirect message on your browser.

What to do when you are a Victim of a Fake Antivirus Software

Rogue antivirus software is usually difficult to uninstall once identified. This is because they have built-in programs that modify your device settings and prevent their uninstallation. However, there are a few things you can do when you realise that you have downloaded and installed fake antivirus software:

  1. Scan your device. This will help you highlight the malicious software that is in it.
  2. Stop the antivirus software from running by going to your executive settings and force-stopping the software.
  3. Get the services of an IT specialist who is well-versed in the installation and uninstallation of rogue antivirus software.

For more useful tips and insights about modern-day scams, keep following Macropay’s Scam Alert series and their website: www.macropay.net

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