Cybercrooks Peddle Fake Kaspersky Anti-Virus Software

Clever online criminals are preying on people's fears of computer viruses by packaging their malicious scams in what appears to be legitimate anti-virus software from a top vendor.

The latest instance of this  phishing ploy comes from crooks trying to scam users under the guise that they're selling software from the security firm Kaspersky Lab. The unsolicited emails look official, and include a link that directs recipients to a website selling "Best Antivirus Online."

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To buy the product, users are told to first enter their credit card details and email address so they can "receive further instructions," Maria Namestnikova from Kaspersky Lab wrote on the company's Securelist  blog. (The anti-virus ad, she wrote, resembled the signature design of Symantec's anti-virus software — perhaps an attempt to trip up users by adding some legitimate, if mismatched, visual support to the scam.)

To investigate the phising scam, Namestnikova followed the directions, but said she received no further instructions. So while victims don't end up downloading any potentially harmful software, they've handed over their credit card info to a total stranger.

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

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Phishing scams like this are very common, but users can avoid this one by not entering credit card details on suspicious-looking websites, and by ignoring unsolicited emails trying to convince them to purchase security software. "No reputable company would send spam messages," Namestnikova said.

More sophisticated scams shilling fake anti-virus software, such as MacDefender, have made headlines recently by actually taking over computers and then holding them hostage, or redirecting Web browsers to porn sites until their owners pay.

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