{"id":53835,"date":"2016-07-21T17:57:00","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T17:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/?p=53835"},"modified":"2016-07-21T17:57:00","modified_gmt":"2016-07-21T17:57:00","slug":"scareware-making-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/scareware-making-comeback\/","title":{"rendered":"Scareware – Is It Making A Comeback?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recent reports suggest scareware could be making a comeback…<\/p>\n

According to IN Homeland Security<\/a>, the probability of scareware, a software designed to be the solution to a nonexistent problem, is going to make a big comeback.\u00a0 The likelihood of these predictions being correct appears to be quite high.<\/p>\n

An IT security professional recently contacted the Spiceworks<\/a> IT community for assistance on a potential scareware\u00a0infection. The IT professional reported that after running multiple scans, nothing was suggesting there was an internal issue.\u00a0 It is believed these messages were scareware, used to prompt the user to call the number within the message for “assistance”.<\/p>\n

In an effort to avoid falling for false alarms, contact your security software provider if you receive any messages on your computer about a malware infection.\u00a0 If you call the phone number listed in the malware alert, there is a good possibility you’re calling the hackers.\u00a0 This creates a major issue, as you could be providing payment information or remote access to a person who is most certainly not looking out for your best interests.\u00a0 As I said, it is best to call your security software company directly.<\/p>\n

However, this leads to another question.\u00a0 What about phones and tablets?\u00a0 Do you have security software on them?\u00a0 If so, you may need to use it if you’re a part of the latest Pok\u00e9mon Go craze.\u00a0 Reports made by Huffington Post<\/a> stated the app “Guide and Cheats for Pok\u00e9mon Go”\u00a0included scareware, which also potentially includes ransomware.\u00a0 So, to be clear, not only could you possibly get messages for issues that are nonexistent, you could also be infected with ransomware too?!\u00a0 Ouch.\u00a0 Your best bet for this particular case – avoid this app all together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recent reports suggest scareware could be making a comeback…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":53500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[183],"tags":[3290],"class_list":["post-53835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips","tag-scareware"],"yoast_head":"\nScareware - Is It Making A Comeback?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It was suggested scareware is going to make quite the comeback. 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