Spyware Removal SCAMS

[Rahwgwar]

I am starting this to make sure everyone is aware of these two deliberate ripoffs. They are around to exploit you, the consumer......the following quote is taken from the spybot site, found here

If you already knew about this, don't bite my head off......I'm only making sure and I haven't seen any thread on it.......

I have used the Bulletproof software and I can tell you that their GUI follows Ad-Aware 5.83 with their database coming straight out of Spybot......I watched it as it scanned for usage tracks and it was eerie...........http://www.bulletproofsoft.com/spyware-remover.html

I promptly uninstalled this pos software after noticing this and will never trust another piece of software coming from them........

Additional information can be found at the forums of spywareinfo.com

Please keep away from these copyright infringed programs......Ironically, spybot is free and can do MUCH more......continue to support spybot and its developer

While many people in the anti-spyware sector are doing this mostly because they are dedicated to security and privacy, there are always a few black sheep trying to make quick money using the fear of many users.

Two such black sheep are BulletProof Soft with their Spyware and Adware Remover and TrekBlue with their SpywareNuker.
Both products are based on a hacked version of the Spybot-S&D database. Evidence for this is very clear as Spybot-S&D contains some entries to determine such theft. These entries are wrong entries, some detecting things that do not really exist, some detecting minor threats under the wrong name, etc.. These tricks are absolutely harmless to the normal user of Spybot-S&D, but do clearly identify a stolen version of the Spybot-S&D database. Both products mentioned above detect exactly the same 'mistakes' the Spybot-S&D database contains.

I am in contact with two attorneys to sue these two companies. I recommend that you use neither of the two programs mentioned above. Using them is a copyright infringement!!!
(and in addition you won't get more than with Spybot-S&D, as they are based on older Spybot-S&D databases)

Another interesting thing: there is someone 'spamming' at download.com: Spybot-S&D and AdAware have received thousands of negative feedbacks with the same text (CNet is removing them constantly), but the BPS Remover has gotten more than 10.000 positive feedbacks from the same name and the same text.

A discussion about this has been started at our support forums.

[policy editor]

Originally posted by Rahwgwar
I am starting this to make sure everyone is aware of these two deliberate ripoffs. They are around to exploit you, the consumer......the following quote is taken from the spybot site, found here

If you already knew about this, don't bite my head off......I'm only making sure and I haven't seen any thread on it.......

I have used the Bulletproof software and I can tell you that their GUI follows Ad-Aware 5.83 with their database coming straight out of Spybot......I watched it as it scanned for usage tracks and it was eerie...........http://www.bulletproofsoft.com/spyware-remover.html

I promptly uninstalled this pos software after noticing this and will never trust another piece of software coming from them........

Additional information can be found at the forums of spywareinfo.com

Please keep away from these copyright infringed programs......Ironically, spybot is free and can do MUCH more......continue to support spybot and its developer

I agree completely, unfortunately these "so called" services are targeting the computer newbies as most of us in the know would not pay for anything...I use Ad-aware myself and periodically search through my registry keys for anything that doesnt belong. Nice thread though, its important to let people/users know about scams.

[RACKnRAIL]

I just helped my friend remove eAnthology from her machine. Another spyware removal scam!

I have been using Pestpatrol for a couple of years now. It's not free, but is an awesome spyware/adware removal tool. It can be found on Kazaa, but can't be updated.

Spybot and Ad-aware are excellent free spyware removal tools.

Spybot S&D

Ad-aware

[Rahwgwar]

Again, some of you may know this, but this is for the unsuspecting. I would like to bring the following two programs to the forefront. From what I can infer, SpyStopper and SpyRemover are scams.I will not risk my security in any way by installing these to find out with certainty, but I think it's almost obvious.

SpyRemover is a ripoff of Spybot. It looks like they just changed the string and an icon and little else. SpyStopper is a ripoff of the original Spy Blocker. This is evidenced again by the almost identical GUI.

http://www.itcompany.com/remover.htm

http://www.itcompany.com/spystop.htm

Hopefully the hard-working developers know of these two programs and will deal with it by legal means. It really sickens me when I see people who take the work of others and have the nerve to charge people for it.

I stand corrected, but be prepared to give some proof on how you reached your conclusion.