Beware of Scareware

What Is a Rogue Scanner?

Rogue scanners, also known as scareware, are often advertised as a free antivirus download or free online scan. Once on the system, the rogue scanner typically displays false virus alerts, with instructions to buy the "full version" in order to remove the fictional infections. Wasting your hard-earned dollars on a bogus product isn't the only thing you need to worry about. There have been multiple reports from folks who fell for the scam only to end up with credit card charges much higher than expected - and often a series of fraudulent charges continue to appear on their statements. Here's how you're most likely to encounter a rogue scanner, how to prevent scareware, and how to get rid of it.

Rogue scanners go by many different names, including XP Antivirus 2008, XP Antivirus 2009, SpywareSheriff, SpyFalcon, and several dozen others. Rogue scanners, also known as scareware, are often advertised as a free antivirus download or free online scan. Once on the system, the rogue scanner typically displays false virus alerts, with instructions to buy the "full version" in order to remove the fictional infections. Wasting your hard-earned dollars on a bogus product isn't the only thing you need to worry about. There have been multiple reports from folks who fell for the scam only to end up with credit card charges much higher than expected - and often a series of fraudulent charges continue to appear on their statements. Victims typically encounter rogue scanners in one of three ways:
Preventing Rogue Scanners
Keep your legitimate antivirus/antispyware scanner up to date. You can also help mitigate your risk of exposure by reading email in plain text only and avoid clicking links or opening attachments in email received unexpectedly - even if it comes from someone you know. Don't respond to ads from strangers - stick with the good guys. For a free online scan, use one of these top online scanners. Keep your system patched to prevent exploit: use the free Secunia Software Inspector at least monthly to check your system for vulnerabilities that need patching.
How to Spot a Rogue Scanner
A classic symptom of a rogue scanner is getting unexpected virus alerts from a product you don't recall installing. Before you do install a new scanner or other security software, check first to make sure it's not on the rogue scanner list. If you are receiving virus alerts unexpectedly, follow these Six Steps to Tell if a Virus Alert is Legit.
Removing a Rogue Scanner
First and foremost, absolutely do not let the rogue scanner connect to the Internet. Typically, an uninstaller is placed under the Add/Remove Programs option in Control Panel - but the uninstaller seldom works. If your existing antivirus can't remove the rogue scanner, use SmitFraudFix - a free tool that specializes in the removal of this specific type of malware.

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Focus on PC Support

This site gives technical support for PCs and is produced by About, Inc.

The site includes how-to guides, quizzes, a glossary of technical terms, and a troubleshooting guide. Also available are tutorials, downloads, articles, and links to other resources.
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Indian impact probe lands on moon

Friday, November 14, 2008 9:52 PM
India marked its presence on Moon on Friday night to become only the fourth nation to scale this historic milestone after a Moon Impact Probe with the national Tricolour painted successfully landed on the lunar surface after being detached from unmanned spacecraft Chandrayaan-1.

Once Chandrayaan-1 reached the designated lunar orbit, it re-oriented itself for this special task.

An instrument, about the size of a computer monitor and so far carried piggyback by the Chandrayaan-1, was released from 100 kilometres above the moon.

The instrument struck the moon's surface at a designated spot in 25 minutes. During the journey it took images of the moon and sent back data to the mother ship before it crashed into pieces.

But before that, the probe symbolically placed the Indian flag on the lunar surface making history.

The moon probe landed in the Shackleton crater named after Ernest Shackleton, a noted explorer of the Antarctic. It lies at the south pole of the moon.

The peaks along the crater rim are exposed to almost continual sunlight, while the interior is perpetually in shadow.

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India makes history, launches Tricolour on moon

Friday, November 14, 2008 9:16 PM (Bangalore)

India marked its presence on Moon tonight to be only the fourth nation to scale this historic milestone after a Moon Impact Probe with the national tri-colour painted successfully landed on the lunar surface after being detached from unmanned spacecraft Chandrayaan-1.

Joining the US, the erstwhile Soviet Union and the European Union, the 35-kg Moon Impact Probe(MIP) hit the moon exactly at 8.31 PM, about 25 minutes after the probe instrument descended from the satellite in what ISRO described as a "perfect operation".

Miniature Indian flags painted on four sides of the MIP signalled the country's symbolic entry into moon to coincide with the birth anniversary of the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, observed as Children's Day.

"It will signify the entry of India on Moon," an ISRO official said. The MIP is one of the 11 scientific instruments (payloads) onboard Chandrayaan-1, India's first unmanned spacecraft mission to Moon launched on October 22 from Sriharikota spaceport.

Developed by ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of Thiruvananthapuram, the primary objective of MIP is to demonstrate the technologies required for landing a probe at the desired location on the moon.

The probe will help qualify some of the technologies related to future soft landing missions. This apart, scientific exploration of the moon at close distance is also intended using MIP.

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Tricolour signifies India on moon

Friday, November 14, 2008 8:18 PM

The landing of the moon impact probe (MIP) on the lunar surface Friday night would mark the presence of India on the moon, the head of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said here.

"The landing of the impact probe will have an emotional significance for all Indians, as the tricolour touches the lunar surface, signifying India's presence on the moon," ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said.

The landing will make India the fourth country in the world to accomplish a planned impact of a probe. It will also be a unique mission, as the Japanese Kaguya spacecraft or the Chinese Chang-e spacecraft did not have such a payload.

The 34 kg probe box painted in saffron, white and green colours of the Indian flag is slated to hit the lunar surface 20-25 minutes after it is ejected out of India's first unmanned spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 at 8.30 pm from an altitude of 100 km above the moon.

Former president and India's top rocket scientist APJ Abdul Kalam will be at ISRO's telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) on the outskirts of Bangalore to witness the historic moment.

"Kalam will be at the spacecraft control centre of Istrac with Nair and other top scientists to observe the complex exercise when the probe will be separated from the mother spacecraft by activating a small thruster to descend through a sequence of commands from Istrac in coordination with the deep space network (DSN)," ISRO director S Satish said.

During its 100 km plunge from the spacecraft, the built-in video imaging system will take the pictures of the lunar surface and transmit the data in digital format to the ground station (DSN) for converting them into high resolution images.

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