Antivirus XP Makers Sued

Ding Dong, the Witch is dead……

Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against Texas based “Branch Software”, who has enriched our lives with programs like Registry Cleaner XP, Antivirus 2009, Malwarecore, WinDefender, WinSpywareProtect, XPDefender and Antivirus XP.

There’s little chance those who have been scammed will get their money back but this is hopefully the start of bringing down those who make fake antivirus software, especially with Microsoft backing the case.

The Washington Post have an excellent write up about it so be sure to read their article, “Microsoft, Washington State Sue Scareware Purveyors”:

“Microsoft Corp. and the state of Washington this week filed lawsuits against a slew of “scareware” purveyors, scam artists who use fake security alerts to frighten consumers into paying for worthless computer security software.

The case filed by the Washington attorney general’s office names Texas-based Branch Software and its owner James Reed McCreary IV, alleging that McCreary’s company caused targeted PCs to pop up misleading security alerts about security threats on the victims’ computers. The alerts warned users that their systems were “damaged and corrupted” and instructed them to visit a Web site to purchase a copy of Registry Cleaner XP for $39.95.

“We won’t tolerate the use of alarmist warnings or deceptive ‘free scans’ to trick consumers into buying software to fix a problem that doesn’t even exist,” Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna said. “We’ve repeatedly proven that Internet companies that prey on consumers’ anxieties are within our reach.” “

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