TrustSoft AntiSpyware Shows Fake Messages Claiming Your PC Has Spyware & Then Asks for Payment for Removal
Although it may seem legitimate, TrustSoft AntiSpyware is yet another corrupt and phony anti-spyware app that may, potentially, have been installed onto your computer without your knowledge or consent via a security exploit or using other nefarious mechanisms. Although the software and its makers were embroiled in a controversy with the U.S. Government years ago, the threats presented by the app have persisted.
After it is installed, TrustSoft AntiSpyware might display fake messages claiming that your Windows operating system is infected with spyware. The authors of TrustSoft AntiSpyware intend to trick you into purchasing its product using the typical scare tactics associated with this kind of rogueware. Also, keep in mind that the makers of TrustSoft also produced another phony anti-spyware program years ago, the controversial application SpyKiller, in 2005.
In fact, the SpyKiller program was even wrapped up in litigation initiated by the United States government over a decade ago. Back then, the Federal Trade Commission won an injunction against the Houston, Texas-based company behind Skykiller. The government accused the company of making false claims about removing spyware from consumers’ computers.
In 2005, a judge for the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Texas granted the FTC an injunction against TrustSoft as well as the company’s owner, Danilo Ladendorf, to immediately stop the company from using deceptive marketing strategies and illegal unsolicited electronic messages to compel consumers to pay for the program that did little other than remove legitimate and necessary programs, such as word processors and reputable antivirus software. Danilo Ladendoft and Trustsoft, Inc. were ordered to pay approximately $1.9 million to settle the FTC charges.
The FTC’s filing alleged that TrustSoft deceptively and aggressively marketed the SpyKiller app using affiliate websites, banners, and pop-up ads and sent intimidating emails to capitalize on consumer’s fears of spyware and viruses.
Programs produced by TrustSoft have also been known to send pop-up and e-mail messages informing potential victims that their PCs had been remotely “scanned” and that malware and viruses had been “detected,” even though no such scans can be performed.
Despite the supposed “scan” being free, consumers are usually asked to pay a fee to have the supposedly dangerous programs removed. A good rule of thumb to remember is that no reputable anti-virus or anti-malware software will install itself onto your PC without your explicit permission. If you begin to receive messages from programs you’ve never heard of, you are likely the victim of rogue software like TrustSoft AntiSpyware. If so, it is highly recommended that you immediately install a legitimate malware remediation tool to help you eliminate it.
