‘Scareware’ scam affects 40 million users

Online criminals are making millions of pounds by convincing computer users to download fake anti-virus software, claim Symantec.

Their research shows that more than 40 million people have fallen victim to the “scareware” scam in the past 12 months.

The download is usually harmful and criminals can sometimes use it to get the victim’s credit card details. Symantec has identified 250 versions of scareware, and criminals are thought to earn more than £750,000 each a year.

See the Symantec press release here.