Ethical Hacking: Techniques, Tools, and Countermeasures, 4th Edition
by Michael G. Solomon, Sean-Philip Oriyano
Scareware
Scareware is a type of malware designed to trick victims into purchasing and downloading useless and potentially dangerous software. Scareware generates authentic-looking pop-ups and other ads on a system to make users think something bad has happened or will happen. For example, a common tactic is to display a pop-up onscreen that appears to initiate a virus scan. The program inevitably locates a “virus” and then presents the user with an offer to purchase software that removes it. In most cases, this software is worthless or actually installs something else that performs other nasty actions, such as those connected to spyware. At the very least, users who fall for this scam typically find themselves out some amount of money—not to ...
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