Spyware no joke, as 2 stories reveal
By David Radin

Two weeks ago, I wrote about spyware software, having uncovered a company, Enigma Software, that is using pop- up advertising to deceive users into installing its SpyHunter software. Apparently, the company's deception has caught a number of readers. Here are the stories from two of them:

Coming up empty
I wasn't silly enough to believe that a pop-up could scan my computer so quickly, but stupid me, I downloaded the program [SpyHunter] anyway. It scanned my computer and found two pieces of spyware. When I clicked the button to remove them, it said I had to pay for an upgrade for it to actually do anything. I didn't pay, but I did surf around and found other spyware removal programs. I ran two of them. Both came up empty.

I then searched the Web for the spyware programs SpyHunter said that I had. I found them; apparently they're real spyware programs. One Web site also gave detailed step-by-step instructions for manual removal. Well, the removal instructions didn't work. Apparently the spyware programs that SpyHunter said I had weren't really on my computer at all! It just made it up.

SpyHunter also came up every time I booted my computer. I went into the [SpyHunter] options menu and de-selected the button that said start with windows. How convenient that it was pre-selected, huh? SpyHunter continued to come up with windows anyway. So I un-installed it. Rebooting my computer, I got an error message during the boot sequence keyboard not detected. Uninstalling SpyHunter damaged my computer, and it was a real pain to get everything back to normal again.


Removal difficulties


Your column in the Oct. 2 issue of the Post-Gazette came three days too late. On Sept. 29 I had a pop-up that looked like a Microsoft alert about spyware. I clicked on it to have my system scanned and was told that it had found 28 so-called spies in my computer. It then asked if I wanted to remove them. Here goes the dumb part. I said yes and was told it would cost $35 to do so.

At this point I backed away and found that I had downloaded their program. I quickly removed it but was too late. Their program had eliminated the Google, Lycos, and Alta Vista Web sites. I could not go to any of them. It was as though they never existed. I was being redirected to a purchase this domain site.

I attempted to restart my system to fix the problem. That only shut down my system. After three frustrating days and two calls to Dell I found a technician who found the problem. He deserves a medal. With his help I am up and running again.

This spyware program seemed to have a virus hidden in it, which disabled my Norton Anti-Virus. All is well now I hope. I guess the message here is that the bad guys are out there waiting for that sucker that is born every minute to pass their way; I was the one this time. I will continue to read your articles and e-mails, hoping to get them before trouble arrives. I do enjoy this newfangled Internet thing.

David says: Be particularly careful when purchasing or downloading anything online. There are a lot of wolves in sheep's clothing. It is not clear whether these two readers encountered the same deceptive download. There are many downloads and other threats that can cause similar problems. I'll continue to cover them in this column, and to send timely alerts to those who take advantage of my Megabyte Minute Tip Letter.



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(David Radin is a consultant and nationally syndicated radio show host. You can sign up for his tip letter and find an archive of his previous columns at www.MegabyteMinute.com. Mail him your questions at [email protected].)

postgazette from Claire