| | | | | dropped them there! You may see a message |
| "XP Security Center" is a fake computer security | | | | window that looks like this: |
| program floating around the internet today. Although | | | | "WARNING XP security center has found X useless |
| its creators have gone through pains to make it look | | | | and UNWANTED files on your computer!" |
| legit, it is actually a Trojan horse that will do you harm | | | | Not only is it continually trying to scam you, it eats up |
| instead of good. | | | | your system resources as well! |
| Once installed onto your hard drive, XP Security | | | | Even after you shut this window, it stays active and |
| Center will give you fake infection messages. It will | | | | running off available memory. Every so often, it will |
| then try and persuade you into buying the full version in | | | | throw a pop-up bubble "warning". Again, this is to use |
| order to get rid of these (fake) problems. | | | | authority and fear to scam you out of your money! |
| XP Security Center often succeeds at this on two | | | | So you might get something like: |
| counts. For one thing, it invokes authority by looking | | | | "System warning! Self-restoring Trojan virus that can |
| very much like a legitimate Windows program (it even | | | | lead to total system crash has been detected on your |
| uses a shield icon similar to the one you see on MS | | | | PC. Click here to remove this harmful virus |
| Windows). Of course the authority is fake--it lies to | | | | immediately with the latest version of XP Security |
| people and takes advantage of them! | | | | center." |
| Perhaps even more insidious, it uses scare tactics to | | | | Or |
| get people to spend their hard-earned money on a | | | | "System message! Malicious spyware that can harm |
| fake product. Even if you haven't bought into it, | | | | your system has been detected on your PC. Click |
| thinking about this can be enough to make you angry! | | | | here to remove this riskware immediately with latest |
| It also goes by the name XPSecCenter. There are | | | | version of XP Security Center." |
| probably other variations on the name as well. If you | | | | As you can see, this malicious software's creators put |
| ever get a message like this: Welcome to the | | | | a lot of time and energy into making something that |
| installer! This program will download and install XP | | | | can take your money! |
| Security Center on your PC. By clicking the continue | | | | Some people have had problems even after trying to |
| button you are accepting our Terms and | | | | uninstall the program. You will need to get some |
| Conditions--then beware! | | | | good anti-virus software tools like Spyzooka. |
| As soon as the "scanner" starts working, it drops | | | | But even if you don't get Spyzooka, you should get |
| random files into your computer. They then come up | | | | something. After all, even if XP Security Center isn't |
| on the scan as threats that you should do something | | | | popping up visibly anymore, that doesn't mean that it's |
| about--even though XP Security Center is the one that | | | | totally gone! |