This program falsely identifies legitimate network applications as threats on the computer. It than prompts the user to pay for a full license of the application in order to remove the threats. Malwarebot is a scam just like many of the fake antivirus programs that have launched since January 2009.
Type: Potentially Unwanted App
Name: MalwareBot
Version: 1.5.348.848
Publisher: www.malwarebot.com
Risk Impact: Medium
Systems Affected: Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows XP
Behavior: PUA.MalwareBot is a potentially unwanted application that falsely identifies legitimate network applications as threats on the computer.
The following instructions pertain to all current and recent Symantec antivirus products, including the Symantec AntiVirus and Norton AntiVirus product lines.
- Disable System Restore (Windows Me/XP).
- Update the virus definitions.
- Run a full system scan.
- Delete any values added to the registry.
For specific details on each of these steps, read the following instructions here.
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Hey Frank, the other day my wife had an official looking warning pop up and tell her that immediate action was required to save her files from a virus. The only way to get rid of it was to turn off the computer. She ran a full scan with Kaspersky after restart and everything was fine.
I think this kind of scare tactic will probably work with a lot of people. It looked like a genuine Windows warning. I really appreciate your efforts to raise our awareness about these scams.
Jonathan,
These scammers are getting smarter and are using many of the official product interfaces to fool users in believing this is the real deal.